Farmers Movement Archive

Ferozepur clash: Akali candidate from Guru Har Sahai booked for murder bid on SKM activists

Vardev Singh aka Noni Mann, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from the Guru Har Sahai constituency for the assembly elections, and his driver were booked on Thursday for an attempt to murder on Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) activists in connection with a clash that took place in Ferozepur city a day before. The accused were not arrested yet, police said. A case was registered against Mann and his driver Gurvinder Singh at the Ferozepur city police station under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 279 (rash driving) of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. In his complaint, Harnek Singh Mehma, SKM leader and the district president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), said Mann fired three bullets at him and Lovepreet Singh besides firing four rounds in the air to intimidate the farmer protesters in Ferozepur on Wednesday.The complainant said that Mann’s driver Gurvinder tried to hit them with the vehicle. Some people sustained injuries due to the alleged rash driving that was aimed at attacking the SKM activists, it was alleged.Ferozepur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harmandeep Singh Hans did not respond to repeated phone calls and messages.Ferozepur range deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Inderbir Singh said, “An FIR was lodged on the basis of the complaint filed by the farmer leader. We have to ascertain various charges made against Mann and his driver. The police have not registered an FIR against the farmer activists yet.” The police officials were silent on any evidence in the allegations levelled by SKM and SAD against each other of indiscriminate firing at a crowded place in the city. There was no confirmation either of the police having found bullet shells from the spot.The FIR was registered after the SKM activists started an indefinite dharna outside the Ferozepur police headquarters on Thursday morning. The dharna was lifted after their demand for registration of a criminal case against the Akali leaders was met. Rubbishing the charges levelled against him, Mann accused the police of working under political pressure.He alleged that it was the protesters who fired on his vehicle.The protesters forcibly stopped his SUV and jumped on its bonnet, but the driver drove to save the occupants, including him, from the mob, he alleged. “On Wednesday evening, I submitted a complaint and video and photographic evidence to the police about the attack on us but no action was taken. Several videos are in the public domain where my SUV was seen attacked and damaged by the mob. My official security guard Karamvir Singh was also attacked by the goons after he opened fire in the air to protect me from the violent mob,” Mann claimed.The clash between the SKM and Akali activists took place on Wednesday when Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was in the city to hold political programmes. Harsimrat has accused the Congress leadership of planning an attack on the Akali leaders.

Hindustan Times

12-11-2021

Chandigarh