Karnal (Haryana): Succumbing to the pressure of protesting farmers, Haryana government has ordered a probe into the August 28 Karnal incident and sent IAS officer Ayush Sinha (SDM), who ordered a police lathi charge on a group of protesting farmers, on leave.
Addressing a press conference, farmer leader Gurnam Chaduni said that there will be a judicial inquiry in the case, which will be done by a retired High Court judge. The inquiry will be completed in a month. Chaduni also said that the former Karnal SDM will be on leave till the completion of the probe.
Sinha was transferred out as part of a larger bureaucratic shuffle and posted as additional secretary of the Citizen Resources Information Department after he was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to "break heads" if the protesting farmers crossed the line.
About 10 protesting farmers, who were demanding repeal of the three farm laws, were hurt and one was killed in the clash with the police as they tried to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting.
After the incident, a large number of farmers protested outside the Karnal secretariat demanding action against Sinha. The farmers had put forth three demands during the protest.
The first demand was that an FIR should be registered against the government officials, including the SDM, who had lathi-charged the farmers.
The second demand was that the family of the farmer who died, should be paid a compensation of 25 lakhs and one member of the family should be given a job.
The third demand was that all the farmers who were injured by the police lathi-charge should be provided with an assistance amount of Rs.2 lakh each.
READ: Karnal incident: Pressure mounts on Haryana govt to take action against IAS officer Ayush Sinha