Fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal shifted to private hospital in Patiala

The police have discreetly shifted fasting leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to a private hospital in Patiala. The move to shift the leader back from Jalandhar has surprised many as Patiala was the epicentre of the agitation by farmers who had blocked the national highway near Shambhu and Khanauri.

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Sources say that the government took a decision late Saturday evening to shift Dallewal to a private hospital in Patiala, which has a former Punjab Police cop managing the administrative affairs after his retirement.

Dallewal’s fast entered 118th day on Sunday and his shifting to a private hospital has surprised even the union members, who are now confident that they can reach the leader.

Before being shifted to Patiala, Dallewal was kept under tight security at the PWD rest house in Jalandhar Cantonment with security personnel tasked with foiling any attempt by farmer leaders to reach him, according to officials.

The farmer leader was shifted to the facility in Jalandhar following a late-night drama during which he was taken to multiple locations after his detention from Mohali in a police crackdown on March 19.

The decision to keep him at the Jalandhar facility was seen as a well-prepared plan as the outfit has negligible presence in the area. The union has influence in the Malwa belt, so the shifting of Dallewal to a Patiala hospital is a surprising move for many.

No senior official of the state police was willing to comment on the issue.