4 farmers returning from protest sites near Delhi killed in two separate accidents

Tribune News Service
Karnal/Chandigarh, December 15

Four Punjab farmers returning from protest sites near Delhi borders were killed in two separate road accidents on Tuesday.

In the first incident, two farmers were killed and four others were injured after a truck hit their tractor-trolley near Taraori flyover in Karnal in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The farmers were returning to Patiala in Punjab from Singhu border after participating in the protest against the contentious farm laws.

The deceased have been identified as Gurpreet Singh (24) and Labh Singh (65), from Safera village in Patiala district. As per the farmers, Gurpreet died on the spot, while Labh Singh died in Patiala.

Taraori police station’s SHO Inspector Sachin said one of the farmers travelling in the tractor trolley told police that the truck driver appeared to have fallen asleep behind the wheels which led to the accident.

The truck driver managed to flee from the spot, he said, adding a case under relevant provisions of law has been registered in connection with the incident.

“The farmers were returning from Delhi. They belonged to Saphera under Sadar police station in Patiala,” he said.

In another road mishap, two more Punjab farmers died while seven others injured when their vehicle collided with a truck near Bhagomajra in Mohali on Tuesday, officials said.

Deceased Deep Singh was a resident of Mohali district while Sukhdev Singh Dadiana was a native of Fatehgarh Sahib district.

Out of the injured farmers, four, who were wounded seriously, have been referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and a government hospital in Chandigarh, said officials.

Three others were admitted to a hospital in Mohali, they said.

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu met the injured farmers.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere have been protesting at various border points of Delhi including Singhu and Tikri for over a fortnight demanding the repeal of three new farm laws of the Centre. — With PTI

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.