Farmer Shubhkaran's death: Witnesses apprehensive to depose before probe panel in Haryana; venue shifted to Chandigarh

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, April 18

The three-member committee constituted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court under Justice Jaishree Thakur after farmer Subhkaran Singh lost his life during the ongoing protests will hold its next meeting in Chandigarh. The decision follows apprehensions expressed by the witnesses/injured to appear before the panel in the State of Haryana.

“The witnesses/ injured persons are apprehensive about appearing before the commission in a venue which is within the state of Haryana. A request has been made that the venue should be fixed either in the State of Punjab or within Chandigarh itself. It is also submitted that maximum number of 30 persons would come forth to depose. The request seems reasonable. The commission will meet on May 6 at 2:30 pm at Kisan Bhavan in Sector 35, Chandigarh, for its next proceedings,” the probe panel observed.

The high court in March had directed the constitution of the committee headed by its retired judge to supervise the matter after making it clear that both Punjab and Haryana had several things to draw a veil over.

“Keeping in view the facts and circumstances, this Court is of the considered opinion that the investigation regarding the death of Subhkaran cannot be entrusted solely either to the State of Punjab or to the State of Haryana for reasons obvious as both the States have several things to cover up,” the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji had asserted.

It had also asserted that Justice Thakur, heading the committee, would be assisted by Punjab Additional Director-General of Police Parmod Ban and his Haryana counterpart Amitabh Singh Dhillon. The Bench had added the committee would firstly give a report on the police authorities having jurisdiction to investigate the death. This was essential as the place of occurrence and the death had to be confirmed as one State was shirking its responsibilities, while the other was yearning to get its hands on the investigation. The cause of death, the type of weapon and the bullet/pellet would also be within the committee’s domain.