NEW DELHI: As many as 19 people have been arrested and 25 FIRs lodged so far in connection with the Republic Day violence in Delhi during the farmers’ tractor rally against the three new agri laws,the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul further told the high court that as many as 50 people have been detained and investigation was going on into the incident.
The government counsels also submitted that adequate security personnel have been deployed at the Red Fort for its safety and security.Taking note of the government submissions, a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh sought to know whether any similar matter has been already filed in or was pending before or disposed of by the Supreme Court.
It asked the central government to give it details of any similar matter in the apex court and listed the petition by a Delhi resident, Dhananjai Jain.The petition has sought removal of people squatting under the garb of farmers agitation and clear all the roads and public places. The petitioner has also sought a direction to remove the Delhi Police Commissioner from his position with immediate effect and punish all the police officers who allegedly failed in discharging their duties relating to the Red Fort incident on the Republic Day.
The tractor rally on January 26 that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three new agri laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.
The petition has also sought direction to the central government to put adequate paramilitary forces to protect important monuments and to ensure safety of life and property of citizens of Delhi and restore feeling of confidence and security amongst them. On January 12, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the new farm laws till further orders and constituted a four-member expert committee to make recommendations to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers’ unions protesting at Delhi borders.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Tikri, Ghazipur and Singhu border points of Delhi for over two months now against the three laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act.
2 ex-servicemen move HC for advance bail
Two ex-servicemen have approached the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest in connection with the farmers’ agitation. The two petitioners are Major General (retd.) Satbir Singh and Group Captain (retd) VK Gandhi VSM. Singh is the chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) and was earlier active in the agitation relating to One Rank One Pension (OROP). Gandhi is the vice-chairman of IESM.The petitioners said they learnt that the Delhi Police was conducting discrete inquires about their role in supporting the farmers’ agitation. The HC issued a notice seeking a report from the police department if the petitioners are required to join the investigation.
Court seeks report
The two petitioners are Major General (retd.) Satbir Singh and Group Captain (retd) VK Gandhi VSM. Since the counsel for the state was not in a position to verify if the petitioners were required to join the investigation, the court called for a report