2,200 booked in Palwal for breaking barricades, trying to move to Delhi through Faridabad

The Palwal Police on Wednesday booked 2,200 people for allegedly trying to break through their barricades on Republic Day, in an attempt to reach Delhi, where the tractor rally had already turned violent

The Palwal Police on Wednesday booked 2,200 people for allegedly trying to break through their barricades on Republic Day, in an attempt to reach Delhi, where the tractor rally had already turned violent. Faridabad district authorities have also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, preventing assembly of five or more persons at one place.

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More than 30 farmers from Faridabad and Palwal who have been identified from video recordings were served notices to join the ongoing investigation, said police.

Deepak Gahlawat, superintendent of police, Palwal, said that a route was designated for the protesters to carry out a tractor rally on Tuesday and the same had been conveyed to them. He said that they did not follow the given route and instead took the stretch connecting to Delhi, due to which the police resorted to lathicharge.

“Groups of protesters drove their tractors dangerously and tried to break barricades to force their way into Delhi through a non-designated route at Palwal-Faridabad border on the Agra-Mathura-Delhi Highway, endangering the lives of police personnel on duty,” he said.

“We had given them an option to use the 60-kilometre stretch of Kundli–Ghaziabad–Palwal Expressway and had directed them to use the route after taking a right turn from Faridabad’s Sector 58. However, they were adamant on using the other route, towards Delhi, for which permission could not be granted,” Gahlawat said.

Sub-inspector Hanish Khan, investigating officer of Gadpuri police station in Palwal, where the case was registered, said that protesters on 350 to 400 tractors turned violent. They allegedly broke through barricades and containers, and blocked the national highway between 11.30am and noon, near Softa village in Gadpuri.

“The protestors tried to enter Faridabad district and move towards Delhi, but were stopped by the police by using tear gas, water cannons and lathicharge. It took almost an hour to control the situation and we later held a meeting with the protesters, following which they calmed down and agreed to return to Palwal,” he said.

The police registered a case against the protesters on Tuesday under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307 (attempt to murder), and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as Section 8 of the National Highways Act.

A few police personnel and farmers were allegedly injured in the incident, while two senior police officers had a narrow escape. Faridabad and Palwal police have increased deployment at borders connecting to Delhi.

The police are also scanning drone recordings, CCTV cameras, videography and pictures to identify the suspects and arrest them

Yashpal Yadav, Faridabad’s deputy commissioner, said that under Section 144 of the CrPC, gatherings of five or more than five people, carrying sticks, iron rods, axe, swords or any kind of firearms is prohibited. “We are taking precautionary measures after the incident on Tuesday due to the apprehension of tension, damage to public property and loss of life,” he said.