During a violence incident between the villagers of Jethu Ke, Distt.Bhatinda and police during the agitation against overcharging of fare by local bus operators, two dalit youths were killed in police firing and twenty people including a woman and fifteen policemen on 31st January,2000, at Village Jethu Ke, District Bhatinda. Over 60-70 villagers are still reported missing.

Information collected by a team of Lawyers For Social Reforms,Chandigarh from the villagers of Jethu Ke in District Bhatinda, revealed that for the past many days people were agitating under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union(Ekta) against the overcharging of fare by local mini-bus-operators. Inspite of bringing this illegality to the notice of Senior Civil authorities, when the culprits were not booked for cheating the people, the villagers laid a dharna on the railway line near the Railway Station on 30th January, 2000. On the intervention and assurance given by the Senior authorities including Deputy Commissioner, Phul, that a meeting of transporters and the village leaders would be called and the grievances would be amicably settled, the dharna was lifted. In the absence of Deputy Commissioner, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Sh.Ajaib Singh Bhatti called a meeting of transporters and leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union on 31st January, 2000. After about two rounds of talks when no result was in sight, the leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union including its Distt.President Jhanda Singh, Buta Singh Burj Gill, Ruldu Singh Vice-President, Thaba Singh and Shingara Singh Gidar, walked out of the meeting in protest. Immediately on their coming out of the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner, the police arrested them and when the villagers sitting near the railway line learnt of this, they again sat on dharna on the railway line. On receiving information, heavy contingent of police force led by S.P.(Operations) Bhatinda, Sh.M.S.Chinna reached the spot. During this period, the U.V train coming from Tapa railway station also came near Jethu Ke railway station. Protestors stopped the train from going further. All the efforts of the Civil and Police authorities to pacify the protestors and lift the dharna failed and the villagers threatened to continue the dharna till their leaders are released. Villagers allege that the police at first fired tear gas shells and then resorted to heavy lathi charge. After this when the people started dispersing in small groups, then police followed them and fired at them as a result of which two Dalit youths namely, Des Pal Singh alias Desa, son of Buta Singh and Gurmit Singh son of Mithu Singh were killed whereas Bhola Singh, Bogha Singh, Bhalwant Singh and Jasvir Kaur were seriously injured. Deceased Gurmit Singh was the father of two small children and Des Pal was still bachelor. Local MP Comrade Bhan Singh Bheora and members of opposition showing the empty gun shells in the houses of the villagers alleged that the policemen intruded into the houses of innocent villagers and during indiscriminate firing killed two youth and injured many others. He demanded the registration of a criminal case against the officer on whose orders indiscriminate firing was resorted to and a judicial inquiry into the incident besides compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and injured .

According to Police, a large mob had assembled led by the leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) and on the instigation of the union leaders the violent mob attacked Senior Civil authorities and policemen present on duty.Sh.Jatinder Jain, Senior Suprintendent of Police Bhatinda who was present in Civil Hospital, Rampura Phul had reportedly told the press correspondents that on the provocation of leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union , the villagers attempted to torch the train, but the police acting swiftly prevented them from doing so and sent the train back to Tapa railway station. He also told that in the presence of Duty Magistrate, the villagers were warned through public address system to lift the dharna, but instead, the violent mob attacked the police with brick-bats and fire-arms. As a result, 14 policemen including Sh.M.S.Chinna, S.P.(Operations) Bhatinda and Sh.Surjit Singh, D.S.P.(Operations) Bhatinda, Sh.Surjit Singh, D.S.P.Phul and Sh.Mohinder Kumar S.H.O.Rampura Phul, were injured. After firing tear gas shells, the police fired in the air in their defence. In the darkness two dalits were killed. The Police chief accused the leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union of spoiling the atmosphere only for the sake of their political gains. He said that the village panchayat has also condemned the union leaders for spoiling the situation. In this regard, Railway police has registered an F.I.R. in Police Station Bhatinda under Sections 307, 382, 333, 506, 188, 148, 149, 427,353,186 IPC, 25,27,54,59 Arms Act, 146,147 and 174 Railway Act. Injured policemen have been admitted to Civil Hospital, Rampura Phul. The postmortem of the two youth killed in the incident was also conducted by the doctors in Civil Hospital, Rampura Phul.

It may be worth mentionable here that the Lok Sabha M.P. from Bhatinda, Comrade Bhan Singh Bheora, Distt.Secretary of C.P.M. Com.Darshan Singh Mahiraj, Zonal leader of Bhartiya Kisan Union(Ekta) Sh.Gurdev Singh Dradi, Distt.President of Kisan Sabha Sh.Kartar Singh Mandi Kalan, Distt.President of Khet Mazdoor Sabha, Com.Gama Ram and other leaders while condemning the unprovoked firing on innocent villagers termed it as uncalled for. They accused that the police by intruding into the houses of the villagers not only killed two innocent dalit youths, but also injured Jasvir Kaur, sister-in-law of deceased Gurmit Singh and Bhola Singh, Bhoga Singh, Kulwant Singh etc. Com.Bhora showed three live and three used cartridges found from the house of the deceased Gurmit Singh. He said that the two killed youths had no affiliation with the Bhartiya Kisan Union. One was a labour and another a worker with an agriculturist. He also said that the police did not allow the villagers to participate in the cremation of the two deceased and allowed only five men and women to attend the last rites. After holding a prayer meeting in the village, a large gathering of villagers led by Com.Bhora and few other leaders reached the cremation grounds and paid their last respects to the killed youths. It is appropriate to mention here that the police had laid siege to the cremation ground and entire village besides sealing the Railway Station. The village was turned into a police contonment. Com.Bhora and leaders of different political parties have demanded immediate suspension of the officer who ordered indiscriminate firing on innocent villagers and registration of a murder case against him . A judicial inquiry, besides the payment of interim compensation of Rs. 1 lac each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs.10,000 to the injured in the incident has also been demanded. Expressing fear of torture and elimination of “missing” villagers in police custody, the people have also demanded their immediate release.

Deputy Commissioner, Bhatinda assured the team members that a magisterial inquiry would be held into the incident. He lauded the role of police in using restraint. He said that two youths lost their valuable lives only for a rupee and injured at least two dozen policemen. When asked about the administrative officers who were not available on the fateful day, he said that he himself was on leave. A.D.C. Ajaib Singh Bhatti said that he had gone to make arrangements for transporting the railway passengers to their destinations.

In our considered view, it is a blatant case of State Excesses committed by the very people who were supposed to protect the citizens and being the Chief of the District Police, the S.S.P. Bhatinda is squarely responsible for this dastardly act. After finding enough proof and eye-witness account of Indiscriminate Police Firing by intruding into the houses of the un-armed villagers, we could not find words to express the anguish and grief the poor residents of Village Jethu Ke have been undergoing. It would be most appropriate if the State Govt. itself orders the registration of Criminal Case against the guilty police officials including the Senior Superintendent of Police, Bhatinda for playing with the lives of the villagers and ordering an interim compensation of Rs. 1 lac each to the next of kin of those killed and Rs.10,000/- each to the injured persons.

(ARUNJEEV SINGH WALIA)
General Secretary

Chandigarh: Feb.7, 2000