Farmers Movement Archive

Delhi Police: Six farmer leaders to be questioned today

NEW DELHI: Going after the leaders of the farmer unions for the violence in the city on Republic Day, Delhi Police has got lookout circulars (LOCs) issued against 44 people to prevent them from leaving the country. The immigration authorities have been requested to "detain and hand over to police" the people on the list, including Darshan Pal Singh, Satnam Singh Pannu, Boota Singh Burjgil, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Rakesh Tikait, Rishipal Ambawata, Balbir Singh Rajewal and VM Singh. Lookout circulars have also been issued against Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and Narmada Bachao Abhiyan activist Medha Patkar apart from gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana and actor Deep Sidhu. All these people have been named in the FIRs filed by Delhi Police and their passports are being collected. The LOC request filed by DCP (crime branch) Joy Tirkey states that these people are required in connection with the probe into the FIR filed on the rioting at Red Fort and other places on Republic Day and that they may try and leave the country to avoid joining the investigation. Police have also started serving notices on the farmer leaders to join the probe and are pasting them on their tents if they refuse to accept. As many as 37 people have been served notices to join the probe investigation. Six farmer leaders have been summoned for questioning on Friday, said sources. They are Boota Singh Burjgil, Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal Singh, Satnam Singh Pannu, Shamsher Pandher and Pannu Pandher. As first reported by TOI, nine of the 33 cases lodged till Thursday for rioting, robbery and unlawful assembly have been transferred to the crime branch and an SIT formed to probe them. Delhi Police also confirmed TOI's report that the mayhem at Red Fort and the flag- related incident will be probed under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sections of IPC dealing with sedition. On Thursday evening, the FIR registered on January 14 by the northern range of special cell in the aftermath of the threats given by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) was transferred to the New Delhi Range by special commissioner Neeraj Thakur. SFJ had announced a reward for hoisting the Khalistani flag atop India Gate and other monuments. Delhi's encounter specialist, ACP Lalit Mohan Negi, has been made the new investigating officer, said Thakur. In a statement released on Thursday, Delhi Police said “a preliminary assessment of the events on Republic Day suggests there was a preconceived and well-coordinated plan to break the agreement reached between Delhi Police and the leaders of the farmers' organisations in order to indulge in a violent confrontation with the security forces, to breach the sanctity of iconic and historic structures and monuments and to create an international embarrassment for the government on the occasion of Republic Day." It said the Special Cell was probing the conspiracy and criminal designs behind these events. "The role and conduct of organisations and individuals based in India and those out of the country are being probed," it added.

The Times of India

2021-01-29

Delhi