Defamatory video: Agri Department seeks action

Tribune News Service

Barnala, June 21

After a defamatory video went viral, the Barnala Agriculture Department has lodged a complaint at the Dhanaula police station and demanded registration of a case against a farmer from Kotduna.

In the video, two youths are seen acting as agriculture officers (AOs), who are being thrashed in fields by farmers who oppose ploughing of their early sown paddy.

In the 5.35-minute video, a youth from Kotduna informs AOs over the phone about the sowing of paddy in their village before June 20.

Within minutes, two youths, acting as AOs reach Kotduna fields in an Innova car and start questioning the farmers about it.

Farmers can be seen saying that they would not do it future but the AOs, after taking the tractor from the farmers, start ploughing the fields.

Farmers drag officers from tractor and thrash them. Later, AOs apologise for their act and flee, leaving their vehicle.

Barnala agriculture officer Sarbjit Singh has written to the Dhanaula SHO that by spreading false video against AOs, Harinder Singh from Kotduna had tried to defame the department.

“He has made fun of Section 144 imposed by the Deputy Commissioner and the Punjab Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act 2009. He has insulted all AOs. There must be strict action against him,” demanded Singh.

Dhanaula additional SHO Sandip Kaur said they had sent the complaint to the district attorney for his opinion. 

“We would take action as per the opinion of the DA,” she said.