800 farmers released from detention, 450 more to be freed: Punjab Police

Chandigarh: Days after the crackdown on protesting farmers, Punjab Police on Monday said it has released nearly 800 farmers from detention and is going to free 450 more on the direction of the state government.

Since March 19, hundreds of farmers had been taken into custody after the AAP government decided to clear the protest sites, claiming that the stir had impacted businesses, industries and the general public.

In a statement here, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said, "Punjab Government has already released approximately 800 farmers from the police custody".

He said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed "the immediate release of farmers including women, differently-abled individuals, farmers with medical conditions, and those above the age of 60".

"In line with the directives of the Punjab Government, we are prioritising the release of such farmers and about 450 farmers are being released today," he said.

The protesting farmers had lashed out at the AAP government for detaining their leaders and removing protesters from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, where they had been camping since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was thwarted by security personnel.

On grievances of the farmers related to their belongings during the eviction from protest sites, the IGP said that the Punjab Government has issued strict directions in this regard and nobody will be permitted to misappropriate the belongings of farmers.

"To address the concern about the belongings of farmers, the Patiala district police has also appointed SP-rank officer Jasbir Singh as the Nodal Officer, and farmers facing issues related to their possessions can directly contact SP Jasbir Singh at the mobile number 90713-00002 for immediate assistance," Gill said.

Patiala Police has already registered three first information reports (FIRs) in this regard, he said.

Slamming the crackdown against the protesting farmers by Punjab Police, the national coordination committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Sunday had called upon farmers across India to hold protest demonstrations at districts across the country on March 28.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) --were the two organisations that spearheaded the protests at Shambhu and Khanauri.

Punjab Police had detained several farmers and many farmer leaders, in Mohali on Wednesday as they were returning after a meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh.

The meeting discussed the various demands of the farmers, especially a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops. As the departing farmers entered Mohali after the meeting, they were met with heavy barricading and some of their leaders were detained.

Meanwhile, vehicular traffic had on Friday resumed on the Khanauri border point after the barricades that had been put up in the wake of the farmers' protest were removed.

Earlier on Thursday, traffic had resumed on the Shambhu-Ambala Highway after more than a year, a day after Punjab Police demolished their temporary structures at the protest site.