Plea For SIT Probe Into Attack On Farmers’ Camp

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the Centre and Delhi government on a plea for an independent probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into an alleged attack on farmers camped on the outskirts of the national capital in protest against agri laws on January 29.

The Centre opposed the plea, contending that it was “misconceived” and the prayer for an independent SIT was “unwarranted”.

However, Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi government’s Home Department and the SHO of Alipur police station, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, seeking their stand on the petition.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aman Lekhi, appearing for the MHA, the Home Department and the Station House Officer of Alipur PS, told the court that the petition was seeking constitution of an SIT comprising officers “independent of the central government”, which was not possible.

However, the court said the reasons given by the law officer cannot be grounds for not issuing notice and directed that a status report under the signature of a Joint Commissioner of Police be filed before the next date of hearing on July 26.

The plea has claimed that on January 29, the farmers’ camp at Singhu border, between Delhi and Haryana, was attacked by some miscreants “with assistance and guidance of the police personnel” deployed there.

It has also claimed that the attack on the camp was in retaliation to the January 26 incident when some farmers had broken through the Republic Day security cordon and barricades and entered the Red Fort to raise a flag from its ramparts.

It further said that eight farmers were injured in the attack on their camp.

The petition has alleged that a criminal complaint in relation to the attack was filed at the Alipur police station against the miscreants and erring officers of the Delhi Police. However, no FIR was lodged.

The plea has also claimed that representations were sent to the CBI, the Chief Justice of India, the National Commission for Women and the National Human Rights Commission, requesting for a proper inquiry to be conducted against the accused persons, but nothing happened.

Besides an independent court-monitored probe by SIT, the petition has also sought preservation of the video footage of the incident as the protest site was covered by police cameras.