Farmers Movement Archive

Tension as man’s body found at farmers’ protest site at Singhu

Tension gripped the farmers’ protest site at the Singhu border in Haryana’s Sonipat on Friday after a man, in his early 30s, was found brutally murdered. Sarabjit, a Nihang Sikh, surrendered late in the evening, taking responsibility for the murder. Virender Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Law and Order, Sonipat, told The Hindu that his claims were being verified. “He will be formally arrested if his involvement in the murder is established,” said Mr. Singh. Earlier, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the front of farmer organisations jointly fighting against the Centre’s farm laws, distanced itself from the incident saying both the parties to the matter — the Nihang group and the deceased person, Lakhbir Singh — had no relations with it. Though the police refused to comment on the possible motive for the murder, one of the videos of the incident on social media platforms featured a group of Nihang Sikhs standing over the victim writhing in pain and the people around talking about an alleged desecration of a Sikh holy book. Lakhbir, a resident of Punjab’s Tarn Taran, was found dead, tied to the barricade with his left wrist and a foot partially severed, when a local police team reached the spot around 5 a.m. on Friday. The Kundli police station had received information that “the Nihangs had tied a person to a barricade,” said a Haryana police spokesperson. The large number of Nihang Sikhs present at the spot did not initially allow the police to remove the body, said the FIR. The body was later shifted to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem. Inspector General of Police, Rohtak Range, Sandeep Khirwar, said there were several claims and counterclaims with regard to the involvement of a religious group but he could not confirm anything now. “The matter is under investigation,” he said. The victim sustained injuries inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon, he added.

The Hindu

2021-10-16

GURUGRAM/NEW DELHI