Chandigarh: Every week after a 22-year-old farmer was allegedly killed throughout police motion in opposition to agitating farmers on the Punjab and Haryana border, his physique has been mendacity in a mortuary, with police in both state but to lodge any FIR or begin their investigation.
Haryana Police say that because the farmer, Shubhkaran Singh, died throughout the borders of the state, motion can solely be taken by them. Sources within the Punjab Police admit that it’s true, however the farmer’s household continues to demand motion from them.
Shubhkaran, a Bathinda resident, was killed throughout a conflict between the Haryana Police and agitating farmers on the Punjab-Haryana border at Khanauri on 21 February. As video footage of his lifeless physique exhibiting a deep wound at the back of his head went viral, farmer our bodies alleged that he was hit when the Haryana Police fired on the protesters.
Farmers have been gathered at Khanauri and Shambhu in Punjab since 13 February as a part of the “Dilli Chalo” name to press for his or her calls for. Haryana Police have made unprecedented preparations to cease farmers from transferring to Delhi and have been liberally utilizing rubber bullets and tear gasoline shells to comprise the motion of the agitators.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in an tackle on the night of Shubhkaran’s demise, promised the “strictest possible action” in opposition to these accountable.
“After the postmortem, we will lodge an FIR and investigate thoroughly. Whichever officer, or those responsible for Shubhkaran’s death, will face the strictest possible action,” mentioned the CM.
ਇਸ ਦੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਘੜੀ ‘ਚ ਸ਼ੁੱਭਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਦਿਲੋਂ ਹਮਦਰਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ… ਆਰਥਿਕ ਅਤੇ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਤੌਰ ‘ਤੇ ਹਰ ਪੱਖੋਂ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਦੀ ਵੱਧ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਮਦਦ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਭਰੋਸਾ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ… ਪੋਸਟਮਾਰਟਮ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਬਣਦੀ ਕਾਰਵਾਈ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ… pic.twitter.com/gbqkdBwtQU
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 21, 2024
However even after per week, Shubhkaran’s physique is mendacity within the mortuary of the federal government Rajindra Hospital and Medical Faculty at Patiala, farmer chief Sarwan Singh Pandher, who leads the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, informed PTI Tuesday.
The organisation is among the two farmer our bodies main the continued agitation. Pandher added: “A postmortem has not been done and no legal proceedings have been undertaken by the Punjab Police”.
Based on the Haryana Police, Shubhkaran died in Haryana’s territory and never in Punjab, and consequently, additional motion within the case can solely be initiated by them. Extremely positioned sources within the Punjab Police admit that that is true and is the prime motive the division can take no motion on this case.
Suresh Kumar, the station home officer of Garhi police station in Jind, mentioned that Shubhkaran together with a number of different farmers had been a minimum of 500 meters into Haryana’s territory within the wheat fields when the incident befell. The police station is near Haryana’s border with Punjab.
“On the same day, we went to the hospital to note the statement of the deceased’s family but the Punjab Police did not allow us to function,” Kumar mentioned.
Within the absence of any assertion or criticism, the Haryana Police haven’t registered any FIR or inquest proceedings within the case up to now, added Kumar.
In the meantime, the Punjab Police stay tight-lipped in regards to the scenario. A senior Punjab Police officer informed ThePrint that the police had carried their very own train to verify Haryana’s declare relating to jurisdiction and located that the incident had certainly taken place in Haryana’s territory.
“In the absence of any legal proceedings, the team of doctors at the medical college cannot conduct a postmortem, without which the body cannot be cremated,” the officer mentioned.
Sources additionally added that the Punjab Police had been even contemplating the potential for registering a zero FIR — that’s, an FIR that’s registered when the place of incidence will not be recognized.
“In this case, the place of occurrence is known and any action by the Punjab Police will be immediately challenged on legal grounds by Haryana, which will lead to further embarrassment. We have reached a deadlock with Haryana over this and the matter can now only be resolved after the two states reach a mutually acceptable solution,” the officer mentioned.
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‘Fixed match, ‘tout of the Centre’ — Opposition tries to nook Mann
In his tackle on the day of Shubhkaran’s demise, Punjab CM Mann alleged that the tear gasoline shells and the rubber bullets had been “coming into Punjab’s jurisdiction”.
“Our farmers are only on the Punjab side. Haryana has barricaded its borders,” the CM had mentioned in his tackle.
ਅੱਜ ਖਨੌਰੀ ਬਾਰਡਰ ‘ਤੇ ਵਾਪਰੀ ਘਟਨਾ ਦੌਰਾਨ 21 ਸਾਲਾਂ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਸ਼ੁੱਭਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਅਕਾਲ ਚਲਾਣੇ ਦੀ ਖਬਰ ਮਿਲੀ… ਬੜੇ ਦੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਸੂਬੇ ਦਾ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਇਸ ਦੁਨੀਆ ‘ਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਰਿਹਾ… ਮੈਂ ਕੇਂਦਰ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਪੁੱਛਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ…ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦਾ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਆਪਣੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਹੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ‘ਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ? pic.twitter.com/kc8dAgKwjS
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 21, 2024
Ever because the incident, Mann has been drawing flak over the problem, with Chief of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa Monday lashing out on the CM for his “deafening silence”.
“Punjab CM @BhagwantMann’s deafening silence on taking action against Haryana Police speaks volumes about his undisclosed allegiance the to BJP. It has been five days since young farmer Shubhkaran was murdered cold-bloodedly by the Haryana Police at the Khanauri border, the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, has not registered an FIR against the Haryana Police and Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij,” Congress chief Bajwa wrote on X, including that Mann “must explain what was stopping him from lodging an FIR against Haryana Police”.
Punjab CM @BhagwantMann‘s deafening silence on taking motion in opposition to Haryana police speaks volumes about his undisclosed allegiance the to BJP.
It has been 5 days since younger farmer Shubhkaran was murdered cold-bloodedly by the Haryana Police on the Khanauri border, the…— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) February 26, 2024
The farmer leaders main the agitation, too, have skilled their weapons on the chief minister. Kisan Mazdoor Morcha chief Pandher informed PTI Tuesday that it appeared that the Punjab chief minister was enjoying a “fixed match” with the Centre.
“Shubhakaran’s body is lying in the mortuary of the hospital for so many days.. the deadlock has been created by the Punjab government,” he mentioned. “In Shubhkaran’s case, the FIR promised has not been lodged. This only means that the Punjab government is playing a fixed match in collaboration with the Centre.”
What was the authorized obstacle that the Punjab authorities was dealing with that it was unable to lodge an FIR, he requested.
“We are in touch with several lawyers and there is also a Supreme Court judgment that says that in order to lodge a first information report, nothing is required. An investigation comes later. The dual face of the Aam Aadmi Party is getting exposed,” Pandher mentioned.
VIDEO | Farmers protest: This is what farmer chief Sarwan Singh Pandher mentioned about Punjab authorities.
“Shubhkaran Singh’s body is lying in the mortuary. The Punjab government has created a deadlock, they are not clarifying the situation. Are you playing a fix match with the… pic.twitter.com/YQnanGylsf
— Press Belief of India (@PTI_News) February 27, 2024
The chief minister Saturday introduced an ex gratia fee of Rs 1 crore to Shubhkaran’s household and a proposal of a authorities job to his sister. Shubhkaran’s relations, nonetheless, rejected the supply saying that they’d look ahead to the federal government to first register a case and get justice for Shubhkaran.
ਖਨੌਰੀ ਬਾਰਡਰ ਤੇ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਅੰਦੋਲਨ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਹੋਏ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਸ਼ੁਭਕਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਪਰਿਵਰ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ 1 ਕਰੋੜ ਰੁਪਏ ਦੀ ਆਰਥਿਕ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਛੋਟੀ ਭੈਣ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਨੌਕਰੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ..ਦੋਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਬਣਦੀ ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਕਾਰਵਾਈ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ..ਫਰਜ਼ ਨਿਭਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ..
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 23, 2024
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Bikram Majithia referred to Mann as a “tout” of the Centre. “It took the chief minister over six hours to even acknowledge that Shubhkaran had died. Then he announced that first his postmortem would take place and then an FIR would be lodged. The doctors here are saying that first an FIR needs to be lodged and then the postmortem will take place. Can the CM tell us why an FIR is not being lodged?” Majithia requested whereas addressing the press exterior Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital Saturday.
👉ਟਾਊਟ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਇੱਕ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਮਰਵਾਇਆ !
ਸਿੱਧੂ ਮੂਸੇਵਾਲਾ !!
👉ਹੁਣ ਦੂਜਾ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਮਰਵਾਤਾ !!!
ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਕਹਿ ਰਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਪੋਸਟਮਾਰਟਮ ਹੋਵੇ ਫਿਰ ਪਰਚਾ ਦਰਜ ਕਰਾਂਗੇ !!
ਡਾਕਟਰ ਕਹਿ ਰਹੇ ਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਪਰਚਾ ਦਰਜ ਕਰੋ ਫਿਰ ਪੋਸਟਮਾਰਟਮ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ।
ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਵੀ ਇਹੋ ਹੀ ਹੈ।
♦️ਕੀ ਪਰਚਾ ਦਰਜ਼ ਨਾ ਕਰਨਾ… pic.twitter.com/QcpxknS4W8— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) February 23, 2024
In the meantime, the Congress held an indication exterior the workplace of the Sangrur senior superintendent of police Sunday demanding the registration of an FIR.
“Staged a dharna outside the office of SSP @SangrurPolice demanding registration of FIR against Haryana Home Minister @anilvijminister, SSP Jind & others responsible for the brutal murder of Shubhkaran and for causing injuries & loss of property of our farmers. Inaction of @AAPPunjab govt is deplorable,” tweeted state Congress head Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
Staged a dharna exterior the workplace of SSP @SangrurPolice demanding registration of FIR in opposition to Haryana House Minister @anilvijminister, SSP Jind & others liable for the brutal homicide of Shubhkaran and for inflicting accidents & lack of property of our farmers. Inaction of… pic.twitter.com/g1OUoS1OMw
— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) February 24, 2024
Hooda raises problem in Haryana meeting
The problem is gathering steam in Haryana as nicely, with Haryana’s Chief of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda elevating the problem within the meeting as nicely. Talking throughout an adjournment movement introduced by the Congress on the killing of the state INLD president Nafe Singh Rathee, Hooda mentioned Monday {that a} farmer had died however his postmortem had not been completed up to now.
“Punjab says the farmer died in their jurisdiction while the SP in Haryana says it’s in his jurisdiction. What is happening? What is the jurisdiction issue? Where is law and order heading?” Hooda requested, expressing his displeasure over the police’s dealing with of the case.
“Why are the police so lazy that they’re talking about jurisdiction four days after the farmer’s death?” Hooda requested.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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