Haryana Police on Monday registered a case under various sections of IPC and Damaging Public Property Act against BKU (Charuni) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni among 71 named people and about 900 unidentified people over the Karnal incident in which protesting farmers vandalised the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ venue where State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was to speak on the farm laws on Sunday.
The accused were booked for rioting, assault on public servants, damaging public property, criminal conspiracy and other charges, police said.
Talking to ‘The Pioneer’ over the phone, Gharaunda (Karnal) Police Station Inspector Mohan Lal said that the police have taken action against 900 people for obstructing government work, causing damage to public property. An FIR has been lodged under sections 147, 149, 153, 152, 427, 109, 120 of IPC and under different sections of Damaging Public Property Act against 71 people by name, including Gurnam Singh Charuni, while 800-900 unnamed people have also been booked. No arrest has been made so far. Investigation is being done at Police Station level, he added.
He further said that the police are collecting evidence including video clips in connection with the incident and would take action against those who are found involved in it.
Agitating farmers had on Sunday ransacked the venue of the ‘’kisan mahapanchayat’’, forcing the cancellation of Khattar’s programme during which he was to address the gathering highlighting the “benefits” of the three contentious Central agriculture laws.
Khattar had accused Charuni of instigating people to vandalise the programme venue.
The Haryana Police had used water cannons and teargas shells to prevent farmers from marching towards Kaimla village, where the programme was to be held. The farmers, however, had managed to reach the venue and damage a makeshift helipad where Khattar’s chopper was to land despite elaborate security arrangements made by police.
A purported video of Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Charuni, making an appeal to “end the arrogance of the CM” by not allowing him to address the mahapanchayat, was circulating on social media. On January 6, the BKU (Charuni) had threatened to oppose the ‘’kisan mahapanchayat’’.
