Efforts on to trace missing protesters

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 31

Uncertainty prevails over the missing persons following the violence during the farmers’ parade on Republic Day in New Delhi.

The whereabouts of Jugraj Singh, a youth from Wan Tara Singh village of Tarn Taran, who hoisted ‘Nishan Sahib’ at Red Fort on Republic Day during the protest, are still unknown. Jugraj’s family including his parents and younger sister had gone underground, following the Republic Day incident. His father Baldev Singh was worried about his only son.

Contact us: Sirsa

We have procured a list of 33 persons. I appeal to those families who don’t know the whereabouts of their relatives to contact us. — Manjinder Singh Sirsa, DSGMC president

“Not only him, a couple of youth who had participated in the farmers’ protest at the Singhu border, had not returned. Jugraj had no connections with any radical group. It was wrong to associate Nishan Sahib with a Khalistan flag,” he said.

As per the Delhi Police report, 84 persons were arrested and 38 FIRs registered in connection with the tractor rally violence. They were lodged in Tihar jail.

Various organisations, including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), have offered to fight legal battle on their behalf.

A preliminary list of around 40 persons, hailing from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and UP who were arrested by the police has surfaced, including eight from TootrianWala village (Moga), seven from Bangi Nihal village (Mansa), two each from Hazura-Kapura Colony (Bathinda) and Gandhuan village and Budhlada tehsil (Mansa), one each from Asa Buttar, Gidderbaha, Muktsar and Fazilka, and Tehsil Dharamkot (Moga).

“We are trying to know the credentials of those who were detained by the police. We have procured a list of 33 persons. I appeal to those families who are still in dark about the whereabouts of their kin to contact us with their credentials,” DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.

PHRO lawyers Sarbjit Singh Verka and Jagtar Singh Sidhu said their teams were active at Delhi borders enquiring about missing persons.