Plea in SC seeks probe into tractor rally violence on Jan 26

New Delhi [India], January 31 : A petition has been filed on Saturday by two lawyers, before the Supreme Court seeking an independent probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT) or judicial enquiry commission headed by a retired SC judge in connection with the alleged violence, damage of public property and breach of peaceful protest in the farmer's tractor rally held on January 26.
The petition was filed by two advocates-- Vishal Thakre and Abhay Singh Yadav -- through their lawyer Pradeep Kumar Yadav and Advocate on Record (AOR) Sanjeev Malhotra before the Supreme Court.
The petitioners sought the court to direct the enquiry commission to submit its report in a time-bound manner and take appropriate action thereafter in connection with the alleged tractor rally violence on January 26.
The petition said that the actual farmers should not be blamed, as mischievous hooligans have overturned the law and order situation in the tractor rally. They allegedly took advantage of the tractor parade and created law and order problems in Delhi NCR.
These persons in their inhuman behaviour attacked the police personnel. These illegal acts were criticised by all throughout the country, the petition said.
It said that therefore, the petitioners sought an independent probe into the matter, and whosoever are responsible for the illegal and violent act, must be punished as per law. There were some goons in the garb of farmers, who needed to be identified and this is a legal question, which required to be examined, the petition said.
The permission was granted for a peaceful protest and a tractor rally on the Republic Day, but the liberty given by the central government and police department was allegedly misused by some of the hijackers who were in the garb of farmers to disturb the law and order situation in Delhi NCR, the petition said.
In the interest of justice, the police officers should be directed to find the violators on the basis of CCTV footage and the mobile videos, which was circulated after the incident and punish them as per the law, the petition said.
The concerned authorities must be directed to act as per the law and arrest the mischievous elements/hooligans/criminals who had allegedly disturbed the peaceful atmosphere and must be punished as per the law and in the interest of justice, the petition stated.
The mischievous elements/hooligans had allegedly overturned the situation on the Republic Day, injured several police officials, some of them are admitted in various hospitals in Delhi, and because of these mischievous hooligans, who have, destroyed public property, must be punished as per the law, the stated.
Only lookout notices had been issued by Police officials to the leader of the farmers' associations, who were not responsible for the act, the police officials should be directed to form a committee for finding these mischievous elements, to ensure their punishment, the plea stated.
The injured police officials must be rewarded as they have discharged their duties in a law-abiding manner, despite the fact that they were allegedly attacked by these hooligans, the petition said.
The loss of public property, damaged, should be recovered from these mischievous elements, who depicted themselves as farmers after proper investigation, the petitioners stated.
The police on Friday served notices to 12 farmer leaders to join the investigation into the violence during the tractor rally on Republic Day. Among those who were served the notices include Buta Singh Burjgill, Darshan Pal Singh, Rakesh Tikait, Shamsher Pandher and Satnam Pannu.
On January 26, during the tractor march by farmers to protest against the three farm laws, protestors violated the agreement about the route to be taken and entered central Delhi after forcibly removing barricades. Several policemen were injured in the violence and vehicles were damaged.