Farmers’ protest: 18 protesters ‘severely injured’, one lost eyesight in police action

On February 15, one of the protesters at Haryana’s Shambhu border, Nihang Sikh Raju Singh, walked close to the police barricades, while wielding his sword, around 7 pm. The police officials at the site asked him to back off, and as he didn’t, they allegedly fired bullets.   

Singh fell and was hurried to Rajpura Civil Hospital, from where he was referred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.

Most of the “severely injured” farmers at Shambhu, Khanauri and other protest sites are being admitted to Rajindra Hospital. A senior doctor at the hospital told Newslaundry that between February 13 and 16, at least 18 severely injured farmers were admitted to the hospital. Of these, four have been discharged.

At Rajindra Hospital, some farmers spoke to Newslaundry about how they got injured. One of these farmers fractured his legs by a tear gas shell, and another’s hand was severely injured, while a farmer also lost his eyesight.

On February 19, Haryana DGP Shatrujit Kapoor told The Hindu that the police are not using pellet guns. He claimed that the police were using “minimum force”. But the wounds on the bodies of the farmers tell a different story.

Watch.

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