Farmer’s alleged abduction, beatings: High Court questions Punjab police on registration of zero FIR
The farmer has specifically alleged in his statement that he was picked up from the territory of Punjab and taken to the territory of Haryana, where he was beaten up mercilessly
The Punjab and Haryana high court has questioned Punjab police on registration of zero FIR into the alleged abduction of a farmer from Punjab’s territory by Haryana police on February 21 at the Khanauri border. The bench of justice Harkesh Manuja has asked Punjab police to clear its stand, observing that once the police officer, while registering the FIR, was of the view that cognisable offence is made out, based on the statement of farmer Preetpal Singh, then why zero FIR has been registered.
The farmer has specifically alleged in his statement that he was picked up from the territory of Punjab and taken to the territory of Haryana, where he was beaten up mercilessly, the bench further remarked, asking the police to submit its stand by April 9. A zero FIR can be registered irrespective of jurisdiction by any police station upon receiving a complaint from a person of cognisable offence. It is later transferred to the relevant police station, which then registers a fresh FIR. It is meant to help victims of serious crimes.
Preetpal was among the scores of farmers camping at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders between the two states since February 13, after they were stopped from marching to Delhi. In the clash that broke out on February 21, a Bathinda farmer, Shubh Karan, was also killed.
On February 23, Preetpal’s father approached the high court, alleging illegal detention of his son. The Haryana police had submitted that he was admitted to a Rohtak hospital and was found injured on February 21. But it denied that he was taken forcefully from the Punjab side. Upon the court’s intervention, Preetpal was shifted to PGIMER, Chandigarh.
On March 14, Preetpal, in a statement to a magistrate, had alleged that he was forcibly picked by Haryana police from the Punjab territory, taken to Haryana and given beatings. As per his statement, as many as 8-10 Haryana cops had come to the Punjab side, dragged him to the other side, stuffed him into a silo and was given beatings.
Upon receiving this statement, the court on March 15 sought Punjab’s response in view of the statement in question.
During the resumed hearing, the Punjab police had told the court that pursuant to the March 15 order it had registered a zero FIR on April 2 at police station Patran in Patiala, based on the statement of Preetpal.
The police had also told the court that the FIR in question had been registered without consulting the medical records of the injured as the same were not available with them. The medical report, prepared by PGIMER, has said that the possibility of physical assault by blunt force cannot be ruled out. Four of the injuries are serious while the remaining 14 are simple injuries caused by blunt force, the report had revealed.
