Farmers Protest: Lawyer Moves Punjab & Haryana HC Seeking Judicial Inquiry into the Death of Shubhkaran Singh

An application has been filed by a lawyer in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a judicial inquiry into the death of a 22-year-old youth allegedly due to violent means employed by the Haryana police/paramilitary during the farmers’ protest at Khanauri border on 21^st February, 2024.

Advocate Harinder Pal Singh has filed an intervention application in the petition challenging the ‘obstructive actions’ of the government to suppress the protest demanding a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Pal requests an inquiry by a Retired High Court Judge assisted by DGP Punjab ‘into the homicide’ of Shubhkaran Singh, a resident of Punjab’s Bathinda. It is alleged that the Haryana police/paramilitary resorted to heavy tear gas shelling and, taking shelter of the smoke, opened fire on the protestors, resulting in the death of Shubhkaran Singh.

The plea also demands the issuance of directives to the Centre and State to provide complete data on the tear gas shells, pellet guns, and rubber and real bullets used by the police and paramilitary forces, enabling the Court to determine “whether the force used by the police/paramilitary forces on their own countrymen is reasonable or indiscriminate and inhuman.”

Advocate Pal asserts that “the Haryana police/paramilitary forces have instilled terror in the protestors, even after entering the jurisdiction of Punjab.”

“The silence of the Punjab police and the Administration on rampant violation of the jurisdiction issues is also surprising. Till date no official information has come on record as to whether the DGP Punjab or chief secretary Punjab have registered their objections to the protest with their counterpart regarding the use of excessive force on residents of Punjab and within the jurisdiction of Punjab,” the plea states.

The matter is scheduled for hearing on February 29, 2024.