For kin of farmer who died, grief and more questions than answers

Harpalpur, nephew of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, and two unidentified persons were booked by Patiala police on Sunday under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly pushing Surinderpal leading to his death.

The family and farmer leaders did not allow the authorities to conduct the postmortem.

“He spent 30 years with farmers’ unions and campaigning for farmers. He died after being pushed by Harpalpur. I will not let him be cremated until Harpalpur is arrested,” Charanjit said.

“They had gone to ask questions to Preneet Kaur without any arms. When Preneet Kaur came out, Harvinder was seen pointing a finger at Surinderpal. He was punched in the stomach and he fell on the ground,” Surinderpal’s daughter-in-law Harjeet Kaur said.

Surinderpal and Charanjit had no issue and would call Mukand’s son Resham Singh their “God child”.

“He was like my father. He was hale and hearty and never had a pill. He was a part of the farmers’ agitation at the Singhu border for two years and then at Shambhu. He was part of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Bhatteri) and would campaign for farmers’ causes,” Harjeet said.

Charanjit and Harjeet have now been sitting outside the Civil Hospital. “We saw him lying dead in the hospital but were not allowed to see him after that. It’s our resolve that we will not let him be cremated till he gets justice. I was told that he suffered a head injury after being pushed. His turban also came off. The turban was under his head when he was lying dead. I cannot explain my grief recalling all these,” Harjeet said.

In Akkri village, a pall of gloom descended on their house. There were no mourners, except Charanjeet’s sister Jaswant Kaur, who visited the family from Khanna, and Mukand’s wife Kulvinder Kaur.

“We lost two men in 22 days. We are ruined. These protests snatched whatever we had been left with. That is why I do not allow my son and husband to be part of any morcha. We just want them to live,” said Jaswant, sitting guard at the house as the entire family was sitting on the dharna in Rajpura.

Farmer leaders alleged that Surinderpal was pushed and he fell on the ground. He was pronounced dead upon arrival by doctors at the hospital he was shifted. Following the incident, farmer unions demanded that Harpalpura should be booked and the deceased’s family should be given ex gratia and a job. The administration agreed to their demands. The unions are now demanding the arrest of Harpalpur. They have given the administration two days to arrest Harpalpur, failing which they warned of a dharna outside Moti Bagh Palace, the residence of Preneet Kaur and former Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, on Wednesday.

In his statement to the police, Resham Singh stated that his uncle Surinderpal Singh along with his nephews Palwinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh, all residents of Akkri village, had gone to Sehra after learning that BJP candidate Preneet Kaur was coming to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Resham Singh said that Preneet Kaur along with Harwinder Singh Harpalpur and others got down from the vehicle and started walking towards the venue. Resham Singh said that to ask questions from the BJP candidate, his uncle along with other farmers began approaching Preneet Kaur.

But Harwinder Singh Harpalpur and some unidentified persons entered into an argument and started pushing his uncle and others. In the melee, Surinderpal Singh fell on the floor, suffering injuries to his head.

He (Resham Singh) said that his cousin Palwinder Singh along with Jaswinder Singh took him (Surinderpal Singh) to AP Jain Civil Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.