Punjab Police Files Murder Case In Protesting Farmer's Death During 'Delhi Chalo' March

The FIR, filed on Shubhkaran's father's complaint, implicates an unidentified person. The incident's location is recorded at Garhi in Haryana's Jind district.

File Photo Of Farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' March ( Image Source :PTI Images )

Seven days after the death of farmer Shubhkaran Singh in clashes between protesting farmers and Haryana security personnel at the Khanauri border point, Punjab Police registered a murder case on Wednesday night, news agency PTI reported. 

Shubhkaran (21), a Bathinda native, was killed, and 12 security personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21. The incident occurred as some protesting farmers attempted to approach police barricades set up to impede their "Delhi Chalo" march.

According to the PTI report, the Punjab Police filed a case under sections 302 (murder) and 114 (abettor present when an offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code at the Patran Police station in Patiala.

The FIR, filed on Shubhkaran's father's complaint, implicates an unidentified person. The incident's location is recorded at Garhi in Haryana's Jind district, according to the PTI report. 

Khanauri is situated near Jind district.

The PTI report said that the FIR's registration concludes the standoff between farmers and the Punjab government, enabling a post-mortem examination of the body. Farmer leaders insisted on the FIR's registration before allowing the post-mortem. Shubhkaran's body is in the Rajindra Hospital mortuary in Patiala.

Shubhkaran is expected to be cremated on Thursday (February 29). 

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had previously announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job for Shubhkaran's sister.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha lead the agitation, urging the Centre to meet their demands, including a legal guarantee on minimum support prices for crops and farm loan waiver.

Farmers, predominantly from Punjab, participating in the protest have set up camps at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.

Farmer leaders have said that protesters would continue at Khanauri and Shambhu until February 29, when the next course of action would be decided.

Last week, the Haryana government announced that mobile internet and bulk SMS services in certain areas of Ambala district would be suspended until February 29. Click here to read the full report.