Sangrur: Fact-finding panel makes report public on thrashing of 2 Dalit youths

Sushil Goyal

Sangrur, June 24

With regard to beating up of two Dalit youths by farmer leader Manjit Singh, the inquiry report of the fact-finding committee constituted by several organisations was made public by the members of the committee at Gadar Memorial Bhawan here today.

The members of the fact-finding committee included Mukesh Malaud, zonal president of Zamin Prapati Sangharsh Committee; Nirmal Singh, a leader of Dehati Mazdoor Sabha Punjab; and Ram Dhan Singh, a leader of Ravidas Sewa Society.

In its report, the committee mentioned that the beating up of both Dalit youths by the farmer leader Manjit Singh Gharachon is intolerable. However, during inquiry it has come to notice that the dispute between both the sides is neither related to looting incident nor caste-based rivalry and it occurred due to an altercation between youths from both sides on some drug issue.

The fact-finding committee also mentioned that despite the arrest of two Dalit youths from the spot, denial by the police with regard to their arrest, and inclusion of name of another farmer leader Jagtar Singh Laddi in the First Information Report (FIR) have also raised questions over the functioning of the police.

In the committee’s report, it has also been stated that use of lies by both sides to strengthen their case legally is not right as it becomes a cause of division in the society. The committee also mentioned in the report that the cause behind the occurrence of such a violent incident is sale of drugs openly in the area and unemployment.

In this case, on the complaint of farmer leader Manjit Singh, an FIR was registered by the police against Dalit youths — Aman Singh, Harjit Singh and others — under Sections 379 B, 307, 341, 148 and 149 of the IPC. In the complaint, the farmer leader had alleged that an attack was made on his son Rajvir Singh by the accused due to which he suffered serious injuries.

On the other hand, on the statement of Harjit Singh, a case was registered against farmer leaders — Manjit Singh and Jagtar Singh Laddi etc. — under Sections 341, 323, 325, 148, 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3 (i) (X) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Amendment 2022, for mercilessly beating up Harjit and Aman and using caste-based words against them.