10 farmer activists arrested in Hansi granted bail after govt drops attempt to murder, sedition charges
Their release came hours after a late-night meeting between a five-member delegation of Jeevan Kundu Dharna Committee and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini at his residence in Chandigarh
All 10 farmer activists arrested in Hansi on August 15 were released on bail by a court in Hansi today after police dropped several sections from the FIR, including charges of attempt to murder and sedition under the BNS, and sections of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.
Advocate Vikram Mittal, who represented the activists, said the sections had been imposed without basis and were excessive. “We had pleaded before the court yesterday as well. The government has now realised this and removed these sections, following which the court considered their bail applications and granted bail,” he said.
The arrested activists — Shamsher Nambardar, Surender, Subhash Chander, Satpal, Suresh Koth, Sumit, Ranbir, Vajir, Jagmahender and Sulender — had been sent to judicial custody and lodged in Bhondsi jail in Gurugram. They walked out of jail this evening.
Their release came hours after a late-night meeting between a five-member delegation of Jeevan Kundu Dharna Committee and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini at his residence in Chandigarh. The meeting, which began around 11 pm and continued until about 1 am, resulted in the government agreeing to several demands raised by the committee during its agitation seeking justice in the murder case.
Police had booked the activists under Sections 189(6), 190, 191(2), 191(3), 109(1), 121, 61(2), 152, 223, 132, 221 and 351(3) of the BNS, along with Sections 2 and 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984. The charges included unlawful assembly, rioting, obstruction of public servants, assault, damage to public property and offences involving national honour. The case relates to violent clashes with police in Hansi on August 15, when Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was the chief guest at the Independence Day event.
A member of the delegation said the state government has agreed to withdraw all cases registered during the agitation between August 4 and 15, including those against the farmer activists arrested in Hansi. It has also assured that vehicles, ornaments and mobile phones seized during the protests would be returned to their owners.
The government has further assured financial assistance to Jeevan Kundu’s family, including support for his wife. It also assured the committee of action regarding the arrest of Ramesh Sharma, the main accused in the murder case. Following the assurances, the committee decided to perform Kundu’s last rites at his native village, Kinala, at 10 am on August 18, 14 days after his murder.
Former BJP state general secretary Surender Punia mediated between the government and the committee and accompanied the five-member delegation to Chandigarh.
