Villagers from village Tatariyewala in subdivision Dharamkot of district Moga Friday said that at least 11 of their men were in the custody of Delhi Police in a case related to violence on Republic Day in the national Capital. (File) The villagers from village Tatariyewala in subdivision Dharamkot of district Moga Friday said that at least 11 of their men were in the custody of Delhi Police in a case related to violence on Republic Day in the national Capital.
While for three days since January 26, families of persons were completely in dark about their whereabouts and their phones were also not reachable, they were told Friday late that the 11 were arrested by Delhi Police and sent to Tihar Jail.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dharamkot DSP Shubeg Singh, said, “We have just been able to confirm that 11 men from village Tatariyewala who had gone to Delhi to participate in farmers’ protest and Tractor March have been arrested by Delhi Police and sent to Tihar Jail. We are yet to get details of the FIR and offences for which they have been booked.”
Mukhtiyar Singh, panch of the village who is associated with Akali Dal, said that at least 20 men from their village had gone to Delhi to participate in the protest in different batches and on tractors. “They all had gathered at Tikri border. On January 26, when Tractor March started, they proceeded ahead with other tractors but 12 of them were held by the Delhi Police. One of them who was a juvenile has been released today and he is on way back home. Eleven others have been sent to jail. We have no idea under which offence our youths have been held by Delhi Police. They had just gathered at Tikri border to participate in the protest like thousands of other farmers. They had not gone to Red Fort… they were not a part of the group that went to Red Fort. We are waiting for FIR details to know for what offences they have been arrested,” said Mukhtiyar Singh. He said that the men who have been arrested were not associated with any political party. “Neither they are associated with any political party, nor involved in any inflammatory act. They had only gone to Delhi on the motivation by farm unions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gurjeet Kaur, wife of one of the arrested men Bhag Singh, said, “My husband had left for Delhi on January 23. He had participated in the Tractor March from Tikri border. Other villagers present at Tikri from our village told us that two tractors from our village were deliberately put on the wrong route following which Delhi Police arrested twelve men. Since January 26, I have not been able to speak to my husband and his phone is not reachable. My husband had gone to Delhi just to participate in the protest on the call of farm unions and he is not associated with any political party. I am physically disabled and my husband is the only earning member in our family. I request farm unions and the Punjab government to help us. Please help my husband in reaching back home as soon as possible..”
Sukhjinder Kaur, mother of Harjinder Singh, arrested by Delhi Police, said, “My one son is in Indian Army and the other one helps me in running our home. My husband had died. I request the government that my son should not be implicated in any false case. He had gone to Delhi just to participate in the protest like other farmers. I request the Punjab government to get him released from custody of Delhi Police and help him reach back home..”
Eleven men from this village now in Delhi police custody were identified as: Amritpal Singh Nambardar (45), Harjinder Singh (24), Daljinder Singh (20), Bhag Singh (45), Gurpreet Singh (24), Jagdeep Singh (22), Jagdish Singh (40), Baldhir Singh (26), Ranjit Singh (23), Ramandeep Singh (28) and Jaswant Singh (50). “None of them went to Red Fort or were involved in any violence or hooliganism. Police should tell us that why they have been arrested,” said Mukhtiyar Singh.
Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) said that apart from eleven persons arrested from village Tatariyewala of Moga, information of arrests from districts was still being compiled. “We are not sure of how many other persons from other districts have been arrested. Police doesn’t really need any reason to arrest farmers and most are being arrested even as they were not indulged in any violence in Delhi. We are ascertaining other arrests.”