FIRs against farm leaders after clash with police in Bathinda

BATHINDA: The Bathinda police have registered two separate FIRs against farmer leader and BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan and vice president Jhanda Singh Jerhuke following clashes between farmers and police at Jeond village on Monday.

The cases have been filed at the Sadar Rampura police station.

The first FIR was registered based on a complaint from Gurlal Singh, a contract-based Patwari (revenue employee). He alleged that while performing demarcation duties in the village, he and his team were obstructed and abducted by a group of farmers.

The second FIR was filed by DSP (headquarters) Rahul Bhardwaj, who reported that he suffered a fracture in his left arm after being attacked by farmers while attempting to maintain law and order.

The dispute began when the administration moved forward with the land consolidation demarcation, which originally stemmed from the demand by one-third of the land to be allocated to the original landowners under the ‘Ala Malik Adna Malik’ revenue act.

According to the act, one-third of the land is designated for the original owners, while the remaining two-thirds is meant for cultivators.

The original landowners had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, which ruled in their favor. They later filed a contempt of court petition seeking the implementation of the court’s order.

On Monday, as the administration began the land consolidation process, farmers opposed it, leading to the clashes.