A man has died after being run over by a tractor-trailer in Punjab's Sangrur during clashes between farmers and police over the detention of farmer leaders. Clashes broke out a day before a planned protest in Chandigarh by 16 groups of farmers demanding compensation for damage caused by the floods.
At least five police officers were injured in the clashes.
Sangrur Police Chief (SSP) Surendra Lamba told PTI news agency that clashes broke out after police refused to let members of the farmers' union blockade the Sangrur-Barnala main road and the Badbar toll station.
He added that the farmers overcame the obstacles using tractors and buses. Police said the dead man, Pritam Singh, fell under one of the protesters' tractor-trailers and was seriously injured. He later died during treatment.
An inspector was also seriously injured after narrowly escaping death when he was run over by a tractor-trailer.
Earlier in the day, the farmers announced that Punjab police had arrested several of their leaders, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh (KMSC) committee chairman, Sarwan Singh Pandher, KMSC's Satkar Singh Kotli, BKU's Bohr Singh (Behramke).
An agricultural sector leader in Tarn Taran district also said that police raided the residences of agricultural leaders and arrested them. Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Sukhbir Singh Badal, criticized the AAP government over the man's death and said that a murder case should be filed against Minister Bhagwant Mann "because it was done on his orders.". He also demanded that police officers who "do this" be convicted.
Punjab Opposition Party Leader and Parliament Leader Partap Singh Bajwa criticized the state police for the incident and said, "Police brutality against farmers and innocent people in Punjab under the AAP regime is now over. to new heights".
He added that CM Bhagwant Mann "had to explain to the people of Punjab, who ordered the police to charge the protesting farmers."
