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Delhi Police to issue look-out notices against farmer leaders; passports to be surrendered

Almost 25 FIRs were filed after the Republic Day violence

Protesting farmers remove police barricades as they march to the capital | AP Representational image

The Delhi Police will issue a look-out circular against farmer leaders named in FIRs filed in connection with violence on Republic Day, news agency PTI reported, adding that the accused will be asked to surrender their passports. 

After violence erupted at the farmer protests during the Republic Day tractor rally, and the subsequent ruckus at the Red Fort, the Delhi Police had registered a flurry of FIRs naming almost 40 farmer leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and prominent environmentalist Medha Patkar. Deep Sidhu, the Punjabi actor-activist accused of instigating the Red Fort incident, was also booked. The FIRs mentioned charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy, and attempt to murder among others. So far, 25 FIRs have been filed. 

The farmer leaders named in the FIR include Patkar, Yadav, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chanduni, Tikait, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Harinder Singh Lakhoval.

On the day of the planned tractor rally by the farmers, tens of thousands of protesters, wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort. Over 300 police personnel were reported injured in the violence. The violence which has evoked all-round condemnation had an immediate fallout among the protesters with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) withdrawing from the two-month-long protests at the Delhi's borders. 

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

Delhi Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava alleged that the farmer leaders booked for the violence made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence.  According to the FIR registered at Samaypur Badli police station against unknown persons, the protestors robbed the official pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition along with two tear gas guns during the violence.

What do the FIRs say

The FIR mentions multiple IPC sections, including 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 353 (assault/criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy). In one of the FIRs, a Delhi Police cop claimed that some protestors tried to kill him by ramming their tractor into the barricades. According to the FIR, 394 police personnel were injured while 30 police vehicles and 428 barricades were damaged in the violence. DTC driver Praveen Kumar suffered injuries in the riot and was admitted at ESIC Model Hospital, Basaidarapur.

Shrivastava claimed farmer unions did not follow conditions set for the rally that was supposed to be held from 12pm to 5pm with 5,000 tractors, and accused their leaders of betrayal. He alleged that some farmer leaders like Satnam Singh Pannu and Darshan Pal gave inflammatory speeches. Thereafter, protesters broke barricades.

"By January 25 evening, it became clear that they were not keeping their words. They brought forward the aggressive and militant elements who occupied the stage and delivered provocative speeches," he said.

The FIR said that the protestors and their leaders, with their pre-planned objective of not following the mutually agreed route and the timing of the commencement of the so-called parade of the protestors and disrupting the Republic Day parade, resorted to the incident. Their gathering was also in violation of the COVID-19 guidelines.

Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the protestors. However, the mob started throwing back the tear gas shells towards the police, the FIR stated.

On their part, the farmer leaders alleged that "anti-social" elements had perpetrated the violence to "torpedo" their peaceful agitation against the farm laws as part of a "conspiracy", and demanded a probe.

-Inputs from agencies

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