Farmers Movement Archive

FIR: Protesters started trouble, attacked Delhi Police

NEW DELHI: The FIR on the clashes between local residents and protesting farmers on Friday claims that it was the farmers who started pelting stones at the locals who had arrived at Singhu border to open up the road. The FIR, a copy of which is with TOI, also says that the farmers also abused the cops and one of them used a sword. The FIR, registered on the complaint of inspector Pradeep Paliwal, SHO, Alipur, who was injured with a sword during the clashes, states that around 1.30pm on Friday, the locals came to the protest site at Singhu to tell the farmers about the inconveniences caused by the blocked highway. “The locals said they were having difficulty in commuting and their businesses were also shut. They wanted to request the farmers to vacate the road. On seeing the locals, the farmers got agitated and started calling them names. Later they started pelting stones at them,” the FIR says. In the FIR, Paliwal says, “One of the Sikh farmers took out his sword and came charging towards the locals. Fearing that he could kill people, I rushed to intercept him and asked him to stop, but he threatened to kill me and asked me to get out of the way. I kept standing in front of him so that he could not attack the people. The man then attacked me with his sword and hit me numerous times. I snatched his sword and the locals started thrashing him. I jumped in to save the farmer and took him into custody. My colleagues who tried to save me also sustained injuries.” The FIR names Satnam Singh Pannu, Sarwan Singh Pandher, Sukhwinder Singh and Jasbir Singh as office bearers of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee who were provoking the locals. Delhi Police said on Saturday that 200 villagers arrived around 1.30pm on Friday to meet the leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee at the Alipur traffic junction. They demand that the farmers vacate the road and open the border. Police said the villagers claimed their livelihood was being affected by the road closure though they had provided all help to the protesters for two months. The cops maintained that the farmers rebuffed this request, and soon the stone pelting started. Palwal sustained grievous sword injuries and five other policemen were also injured. A case for attempt to murder, rioting with deadly weapon, obstructing a public servant in discharge of duties, among other charges, has been registered at Alipur police station.

The Times of India

2021-01-31

Delhi