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Farmer killed, 3 policemen injured during protest in Hisar
According to the officials, the incident took place when the farmers were protesting in Hisar’s Khedar village against the RGTPP administration, demanding that the fly ash emanating from the thermal plant should not be auctioned and be given to them as before. They have been staging a dharna near the power plant for the past several weeks.
A 56-year-old farmer was killed, and four others, including three policemen, were injured after some protesters allegedly rammed a tractor over the barricades outside the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal power plant (RGTPP) in Hisar’s Khedar village on Friday, officials said.
According to the officials, the incident took place when the farmers were protesting against the RGTPP administration, demanding that the fly ash emanating from the thermal plant should not be auctioned and be given to them as before. They have been staging a dharna near the power plant for the past several weeks.
During the protest, a group of protesters allegedly broke barricades put up by police with tractors and started going towards a railway track, killing a farmer and injuring four others. After this, police resorted to a lathi charge, lobbed tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse the protesting farmers.
The deceased farmer has been identified as Dharmpal of Khedar. The injured cops were identified as Sandeep, Maneet, both constables, and Suresh Kumar, ESI (exemptee sub inspector), police said, adding that another injured farmer’s identification is yet to be ascertained.
Hisar Superintendent of Police(SP) Lokender Singh said one farmer was killed and four others, including three policemen, got injured when one of the protesters tried to hit the barricade and the tractor was rammed over the farmer, which can be seen in the video footage.
“The protesters had assured us that they would go back home after giving a memorandum to the Deputy commissioner. Suddenly, the protesters hit the barricade, a farmer died, and four were injured after a tractor hit them. The injured have been undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital. The condition of two cops is said to be critical. When the situation goes out of control, we use water cannon and tear gas shells to disperse them,” the SP added.
