Farmers scuffle with police over possession of land

Sushil Goyal

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, October 3

Some farmers suffered minor injuries during a scuffle with the police over the issue of taking possession of 13 bighas of land by the Colonisation Department in new grain market at Dhuri today. The police allegedly used force to control farmers who had been protesting against officials of the Colonisation Department and the Mandi Board who had come to take possession of the said land.

Members of the affected family and the BKU (Ugrahan) took part in the agitation. As a preventive measure, the police took in its custody around 25 protesters and produced them before the Dhuri SDM in the evening. SDM Jashanpreet Kaur Gill remanded them in judicial custody till October 7.

Dhuri Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nahar Singh said the farmers had been creating obstruction in taking possession of the land. So, 25 men were taken in custody, while women were let off. The police did not resort to lathicharge, he said.

Dhuri block president of the BKU (Ugrahan) Shayam Dass Kanjhli said the police took possession of the land forcibly. He alleged the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse protesters. He said they would not tolerate injustice with the farmer family.

Dhuri Market Committee secretary Surinder Kumar said the Colonisation Department acquired land in 1979 for setting up the new grain market, of which 14 bigha land was in the possession of a farmer family. He said the family moved the high court, but the court allowed the Colonisation Department to take possession of the land, leaving the constructed area. In view of this, the department had taken possession of about 13.5 bighas, he said.