Cop, 8 farmers injured in clash in Bathinda village after farmers hold hostage 2 officials over paddy issues

A policeman and a few farmers were injured in a clash at Raike Kalan village in Bathinda on Monday night.

Two police vehicles were also damaged.

Tension gripped Raike Kalan grain market on Monday night as a group of protesting farmers reportedly held a naib tehsildar and an agency inspector hostage. The incident prompted a swift response from the local police, leading to the use of force to free the two officials.

According to information, around 25 workers of BKU (U) under Jagsir Singh Jhumba, district committee member, Bathinda BKU-U, gheraoed Rajveer Singh, inspector, Pungrain, at the grain market.

Vipin Kumar, naib tehsildar, reached the place to address the issue and held a meeting with protesters but the meeting remained inconclusive. After that the farmers gheraoed the naib tehsildar.

A team of SDM Bathinda Balkaran Singh and SP City Narinder Singh reached the spot and asked the protesters to discuss the issue, but the farmers did not allow the naib tehsildar and inspector to leave and when the police party tried to free the captive officers, the protesters allegedly attacked the police party, leading to injuries to ASI Paramjit Kumar and a few others.

District officials claimed that farmers were demanding that procurement agencies should procure paddy crop without checking moisture content and that the lifting of paddy be speeded up.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan leader Jagseer Singh alleged that police used force on the farmers who were protesting against the 2kg cut on paddy. He claimed that eight farmers were injured.

He said that on the one hand the officials were holding talks and on the other force was used on farmers.

Deputy Commissioner Shaukat Ahmed Parray said the farmers’ demand was unjustified and their conduct was unacceptable as they gehraoed the two officials.

He said the Raike Kalan market has no issue of purchase and lifting of paddy.