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Feb 21 violence: Record statement of injured farmer, HC tells judicial officer
Two reports from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh and Rohtak had confirmed injury marks on the farmer’s body, who is presently admitted at Chandigarh PGIMER. The latest report had stated that the possibility of physical assault by blunt force cannot be ruled out. Four of the injuries are serious and the remaining 14 odds were simple injuries caused by blunt force, the report said.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered a judicial officer from Chandigarh district courts to record the statement of a farmer, Preetpal, who suffered multiple “grievous injuries” at Khanauri border on February 21, when the farmers tried to break barricades for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
Two reports from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh and Rohtak had confirmed injury marks on the farmer’s body, who is presently admitted at Chandigarh PGIMER. The latest report had stated that the possibility of physical assault by blunt force cannot be ruled out. Four of the injuries are serious and the remaining 14 odds were simple injuries caused by blunt force, the report said.
The high court bench of justice Harkesh Manuja had sought the report from PGIMER on a February 23 plea from his father Davinder Singh, from Sangrur, who had alleged that his son Preetpal Singh was in illegal custody of Haryana Police after he was picked up on February 21 afternoon.
As per the Haryana government, he was neither arrested nor detained; and he was found injured in the fields adjoining the barricades installed at the borders on February 21. Considering his health condition, he was immediately sent to Jind civil hospital, and thereafter to Rohtak. Subsequently, he was shifted to PGIMER, the Haryana police report had said.
Preetpal was a part of hundreds of farmers camping at Khanauri and Shambhu borders between two states since February 13 and tried to break barricades to resume their march to Delhi on February 21. Scores of security personnel and protesters had suffered injuries at the Khanauri border. A Bhatinda farmer, Shubh Karan, succumbed to his injuries.
Demanding a law on minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, implementation of the Swaminathan commission’s formula, full debt waiver for farmers, pension for farmers and labourers, withdrawal of cases against farmers during the 2020-21 protest, hundreds of farmers are camping at Shambhu near Ambala and Khanauri border in Jind in response to the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation spearheaded by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur). They were stopped at these two places on February 13 and since then have been camping there. Four rounds of talks between the farmer leaders and the Centre have failed.
The court while fixing the matter for further hearing on March 15 observed that in view of medical opinion, the statement of farmer ought to be recorded about the nature of injuries and ordered that in the presence of treating doctors and Rajesh Kumar Mohan, IPS, Hisar ASP, the statement would be recorded by the judicial officer. Now the matter stands adjourned for March 15.
