Chak Ali Sher October 13:
Tension started brewing at the Mansa Civil Hospital this morning, where the body of BKU (Ekta-Dakonda) leader Pirthi Pal Singh (35) had been kept, when farmers and farm workers started assembling there. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the district administration deployed police force at the hospital and at all entry points to the town.
Despite this, farmer union activists headed by their state leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), state president of the BKU (Ekta-Dakonda) Buta Singh Burjgill and Ruldu Singh Mansa of the Punjab Kisan Union, held a protest rally at the hospital. Pirthi Pal was allegedly shot dead yesterday when arhtiyas and their goons allegedly opened fire at activists of the BKU (Ekta-Dakonda) for opposing the auction of land of Bhola Singh of Veero Ke Khurd village, who owed debt to a commission agent, Ram Krishan of Budhladha. Two BKU activists, Tarsem Singh and Lachhman Singh, had sustained bullet injuries.
Terming Pirthi Pal a “Shaheed”, they accused the arhtiya, his goons and the Naib Tehsildar of Budhladha of opening fire at BKU activists for objecting to take possession of 10 kanals of land of Bhola Singh for auction. The agitators relented only when Mansa SSP Mansa HS Mann assured them to nab the accused. However, before leaving the hospital, the agitators announced that they would wait till October 14 and if the accused were not nabbed, they could take any extreme step.
Later, they put the body of Pirthi Pal in a four-wheeler and the motorcade moved towards his native village Chak Ali Sher. Before reaching the village, the procession crossed through Veero Ke Khurd village, where the incident had taken place, and people raised slogans to pay respect to the departed soul. He was cremated in Chak Ali Sher amid heavy deployment of police force. Hundreds of activists belonging to various farmer and farm worker unions attended the last rites.
Meanwhile, sources said the police had arrested some of the accused. However, the Mansa SSP did not confirm the report. He confirmed that the Naib Tehsildar of Budhalada, Subhash Mittal, who was accused of accompanying the assailants, had also been booked along with five persons against whom a case of murder was registered.
Tension started brewing at the Mansa Civil Hospital this morning, where the body of BKU (Ekta-Dakonda) leader Pirthi Pal Singh (35) had been kept, when farmers and farm workers started assembling there. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the district administration deployed police force at the hospital and at all entry points to the town.
Despite this, farmer union activists headed by their state leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), state president of the BKU (Ekta-Dakonda) Buta Singh Burjgill and Ruldu Singh Mansa of the Punjab Kisan Union, held a protest rally at the hospital. Pirthi Pal was allegedly shot dead yesterday when arhtiyas and their goons allegedly opened fire at activists of the BKU (Ekta-Dakonda) for opposing the auction of land of Bhola Singh of Veero Ke Khurd village, who owed debt to a commission agent, Ram Krishan of Budhladha. Two BKU activists, Tarsem Singh and Lachhman Singh, had sustained bullet injuries.
Terming Pirthi Pal a “Shaheed”, they accused the arhtiya, his goons and the Naib Tehsildar of Budhladha of opening fire at BKU activists for objecting to take possession of 10 kanals of land of Bhola Singh for auction. The agitators relented only when Mansa SSP Mansa HS Mann assured them to nab the accused. However, before leaving the hospital, the agitators announced that they would wait till October 14 and if the accused were not nabbed, they could take any extreme step.
Later, they put the body of Pirthi Pal in a four-wheeler and the motorcade moved towards his native village Chak Ali Sher. Before reaching the village, the procession crossed through Veero Ke Khurd village, where the incident had taken place, and people raised slogans to pay respect to the departed soul. He was cremated in Chak Ali Sher amid heavy deployment of police force. Hundreds of activists belonging to various farmer and farm worker unions attended the last rites.
Meanwhile, sources said the police had arrested some of the accused. However, the Mansa SSP did not confirm the report. He confirmed that the Naib Tehsildar of Budhalada, Subhash Mittal, who was accused of accompanying the assailants, had also been booked along with five persons against whom a case of murder was registered.
