Farmers Movement Archive

Need four months to complete probe of Karnal lathi-charge: Justice SN Aggarwal

Justice Som Nath Aggarwal (retd), head of the commission of inquiry to probe the sequence of events that led to police lathi-charge at Bastara toll plaza in Karnal on August 28, said the commission will require around four months to complete the investigation.Aggarwal, a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court, said it will take around four months to complete the investigation of Karnal lathi-charge. The commission has already written to the government seeking an extension of three more months to complete the investigation.Earlier, the government had announced that the commission will submit its report within one month of its formation or by October 25. “We have written to the government for a three-month extension to complete the investigation,” said Aggarwal.On Monday, the commission reached Karnal to record statements of witnesses. Of the seven witnesses called for testimony, six farmers appeared before the commission.“We got a list of 35 people as witnesses of the incident and statement of six residents of Moonak village have already been recorded,” he said, adding that the statement of the then Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha will also be recorded along with Karnal deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and farm leaders.He said Haryana BKU (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni has also been called to record statement before the commission on November 2. The statements of more people, including doctors who treated the injured farmers, will also be recorded.Aggarwal said the government will act as per findings of the investigation and this is the motive behind setting up of the commission.He said the statements of the district magistrate, superintendent of police, the then Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha, and other cops will also be recorded.Following an indefinite protest by farmers, the BJP government had agreed to set up a one-member commission for inquiry behind the lathi-charge in which farmers claimed that many protesters had sustained injuries and one farmer had allegedly died due to the trauma.The farmers had started an indefinite dharna on September 7, seeking suspension of the then Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha for use of force against the agitating farmers who were protesting a BJP meeting at a private hotel in Karnal on August 28.IAS officer and the then Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break their heads” if protesters crossed the line.

Hindustan Times

26-10-2021

Chandigarh