Patiala (Sikh Siyasat News): Farmer leader, Baldev Singh Sirsa, confirmed today that a 21-year old activist was murdered by police bullets at Khanauri today.
The wounded activist was taken to the government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala where doctors pronounced him dead. Baldev Singh Sirsa confirmed to media that he was killed by a bullet in the back of his head.
Eyewitnesses told Sikh Siyasat over the phone that the victim was about 100 metres away from the barricades erected by Indian security agencies and behind the cordon created by farmer activists. The martyred activist was 21-year old Shubh Karan Singh from Bathinda district. He was shot in the back of the head while holding a wet cloth to protect himself from the tear gas being fired on protestors.
Two other activists were injured by bullets to their thighs and knees.
Swaran Singh, an eyewitness, told Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) that not only the police firing was unprovoked rather there were personnel in civil dress who were provoking and challenging farmers by making ‘crude gestures’. When farmers and youth, provoked by such acts, tried to move towards the barricades, police were intensifying tear gas shelling. They also target youth with gun-shots.
Eyewitnesses confirm that no tractors or protestors were anywhere near the barricade when police opened fire. The sole exception was a water tanker approximately 70 metres away from this point.
Another eyewitness, Pushpinder Singh said youth and farmers were barehanded and on the other hand police personnel were highly equipped. “They did not only fire tear gas, they also used pallet grandes, and such kind of tear shells which blasted like bombs”, said he, while adding that the police also fired live ammunition on farmers. Pushpinder Singh has himself suffered complete eyesight loss in left eye as he suffered pallet injury during the protest few days back.
“Police were not using force as a deterrent or preventive measure; their action was actually offensive. After shooting down youth, which led to chaos in farmers’ camp, Haryana police personnel crossed over into Punjab’s territory and damaged tractors of farmers”, an eye witness told SSN.
Punjab CM Condemns Killing; Assures FIR
In a video address, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed sympathies with the family members of Shubkaran Singh, who was shot dead at Khanauri border by forces deployed across the state border in Haryana. He condemned the killing and criticized the Haryana government for preventing farmers from moving towards Delhi in a peaceful manner. He also criticized the central government for not fulfilling promises made to the farmers and not meeting their demands. He announced that a FIR (First Information Report) will be registered against culprits as shots were fired from across the state border hitting and killing youth in Punjab’s territory.