Chandigarh: HC orders judicial probe into death of farmer Shubhkaran

Chandigarh : The Punjab and Haryana High Court Thursday ordered a judicial probe into the death of farmer Shubhkaran Singh last month during a clash between protesting farmers and the Haryana security personnel at Khanauri border. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji was hearing a batch of petitions pertaining to the farmers’ agitation.

Advocate Uday Partap Singh, who is also a petitioner in the matter, said the court ordered the judicial probe into the death of Shubhkaran Singh. He said that the probe will be conducted by the retired HC judge and two ADGP rank officers of Punjab and Haryana. Shubhkaran, 21, a native of Bathinda, was killed and 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21.

The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades and were stopped by security personnel from crossing the state border and marching to Delhi.

The Punjab government has already registered a murder case in a Zero FIR in the matter. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops and a farm loan waiver.