Over 1,000 farmers affiliated to the joint action committee of the Kisan-Majdoor-Vypari Sangathan gathered outside the SDM’s office for the day-long gherao, District Collector S.M. Meena, camping there, told PTI. CPM leaders Hetram Beniwal and Vallabh Kochar addressed the farmers.

The prohibitory orders under Section 144, CrPC, were promulgated last night as a precautionary measure in entire Sriganganagar district and a heavy police force was deployed to maintain law and order situation which was quite peaceful, the Collector said.

The prohibitory orders, he added, were meant against congregation of people with arms and making provocative speeches. People could assemble and discuss their issues as long as they did not create a law and order problem, Mr Meena said.

Though the police made a number of raids to make preventive arrests in the district, there was no major arrest as prominent leaders went underground, the police said.

With a view to appeasing the agitating farmers, the Vasundhara Raje Government ordered the removed of the Divisional Commissioner of the region, Mr Ramavtar Raghuvanshi, and Superintendent of Police, Mr Sunil Dutt, while two officers of the Rajasthan Administrative Service, Mr Indra Singh Rao and Mr Hitesh Kumar, have been placed under suspension.

Mr Rao was the Additional District Magistrate and Mr Hitesh Kumar the SDM of Gharsana during the agitation period. These officials are reported to have failed in discharging their duties during the police firing in Rawla and the lathi charge in Gharsana towns last month.

Mr Ramavtar Raghuvanshi, the then Commissioner of CAD was holding additional charge as the Divisional Commissioner, at the time of police firing.

He has been replaced by Mr Shrimat Pandey as the Divisional Commissioner of Bikaner, who has also been given additional charge of the CAD.