1,000 farmers booked in Rohtak for rioting, violation of Covid guidelines

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, November 28

Nearly a thousand unidentified protesting farmers, riding on tractor-trailers, have been booked by Meham police on charges of rioting, obstructing public servants from performing duty, assault or criminal force to the public servant and the violations of COVID-19 guidelines during the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest on Friday.

Two separate FIRs have been registered on the complaints of a duty magistrate and a police official in this respect.

Naib Tehsildar Raj Kumar Sharma, who was deputed as duty magistrate in Meham, said a large number of farmers riding on 400 to 500 tractor-trailers marched towards Rohtak from the Meham-Hansi border.

“They shouted slogans at the police naaka there. The mob turned violent and tried to damage the vehicles there when the police personnel on duty requested them to pacify,” he added.

“Thereafter, I ordered the police to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the mob, which then resorted to stone pelting. The cops were pulled back keeping in view a large number of the protesters. Then, the violent mob broke the barricades and moved ahead,” Sharma said in the complaint.

A similar complaint has been lodged by Satpal, Security Agent of Meham Police Station, against the protesting farmers.

Kulbeer Singh, SHO, Meham police station, said two separate cases under Section 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act 2005, and Sections 147, 148, 186, 188 and 353 of the IPC had been booked against 900 to 1000 unidentified persons who passed through Meham town on tractor-trailers on Friday.