Start a judicial inquiry into the death of farmer Sushil Kajal, said All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leaders on September 1, 2021 after a visit to the deceased’s family at Raipur Jattan, Karnal district.
During a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, AIKS General Secretary Hannan Mollah and Finance Secretary P. Krishnaprasad, spoke about how Sushil’s mother Murthi Devi said he died due to internal injury after the police lathi-charge on Saturday.
According to Murthi Devi, Sushil suffered injuries to the back of his head and shoulder. He was in severe pain but wasn’t admitted into the hospital by the police. He had to come home and died in the night. His mother said his face was swollen and the abdomen had turned “bluish in colour”.
Farmer leaders who were present at Bastara Toll plaza at the time corroborated the same. They added that those protesters who were severely injured were forced to vacate the hospital after first aid.
“The delegation has come to the conclusion that Sushil Kajal has been murdered due to the internal injury and bleeding due to severe lathicharge by the Haryana police. Instead of taking him to the hospital and ensuring the best treatment to save his life, the police did the criminal act of preventing treatment to the victim,” said Mollah.
As such, he reiterated farmers’ demand to immediately suspended SDM Ayush Sinha and charge him with murder. Further, Mollah demanded that the victim’s family members be compensated with Rs. 25 lakh compensation and government jobs. According to Kajal’s wife Sudesh Devi no police or revenue officers visited the family after her husband’s death.
The AIKS also provided immediate relief of Rs. 1 lakh to the family of the victim from the Kisan Struggle Fund. The delegation stressed the need for a judicial inquiry by the High Court considering Kajal’s body was cremated in the village without post mortem on August 29. Further, Krishnaprasad questioned how the Superintendent of Police Ganga Ram Puniya could declare a heart attack as the cause of death without a post mortem report.
“This is a purposeful act to hide the truth and protect the culprits. The BJP-led Haryana government is shamelessly trying to protect the culprits by not ensuring post mortem after they received the report of death of the farmer. Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar has no moral authority to remain in power,” he said.
His comment was against the BJP-JJP state government’s recent decision to be “tough with protesters” in case of violence.
Advocate Vasu Kukreja, one of the prominent members of the farmers’ legal cell, told Sabrang India that farmers’ petition relating to the Karnal violence was registered by the Punjab and Haryana Court on Wednesday.
Support for Kajal’s family
Haryana farmers remain enraged at Sinha’s deplorable order to police officers sanctioning the “attacking and breaking heads of agitating farmers”. AIKS leaders called for a fact-finding report by a team of advocates, doctors and farmer leaders to investigate the cause of death and ensure strictest action against the culprits.
Meanwhile, Karnal Bar Association members protested at the Mini Secretariat, seeking an FIR against Sinha and others involved in the lathi-charge. They gave a two-day ultimatum to the government.
Similarly, the All India Lawyers’ Union also announced that it will organise a protest march on September 2 from the Supreme Court to Haryana Bhawan. Several political leaders from different parties also voiced their condemnation against the Haryana government.
In Gaya in Bihar, a joint Kisan Convention, planning for the September 25 Bharat Bandh, strongly condemned the Karnal violence. Then Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district farmers expressed their anger against the Karnal incident by observing a hunger fast.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said Haryana farmers have been fighting as equal partners for their rights
“Meanwhile, it is also clear who is instigating the Haryana Khattar-Chautala government to unleash a war against its own citizens”, he said in a press release.
Earlier, the Gharonda Kisan Panchayat warned the government that if authorities do not take the necessary action against the Karnal incident by September 6, farmers will lay siege to the Mini Secretariat. The SKM has promised support for the same.
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