Convicted of straw burning, farmer let off on probation

Sentenced to a month’s jail by a lower court for paddy straw burning, a farmer was let off on probation by the district and sessions judge after he promised not

Sentenced to a month’s jail by a lower court for paddy straw burning, a farmer was let off on probation by the district and sessions judge after he promised not to repeat the offence.

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The Ghanaur police had registered a case against the farmer, Balbir Singh, on October 24, 2016, for violating the ban on crop residue burning.

A Rajpura court had subsequently filed charges against farmer Balbir under Section 188 of the IPC on September 6, 2017, and then awarded him a month’s jail and a fine of ₹1,000 on March 20, 2019.

District and sessions judge Rajinder Aggarwal set aside the sentence to persuade the farmers to dispose of the straw in an eco-friendly manner and taking an undertaking in this regard.

“It would be more meaningful and effective to give the accused farmer benefit under the Probation of Offenders Act (Criminal Protection Act),” reads the judgment. The court asked the Ghanaur SHO to monitor the farmer and report the violation, if any, to the court.