Chandigarh, March 24 (IANS) The Punjab government has decided to immediately release 450 more farmers from police detention, it was announced on Monday.  Sharing details, Inspector General of Police, Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill on Monday said the government has already released approximately 800 farmers from police custody. He said the Chief Minister has directed the immediate release of farmers, including women, differently-abled individuals, those with medical conditions, and those above the age of 60. "In line with the directives of the Punjab government, we are prioritising the release of such farmers and about 450 farmers are being released today," he said.

Addressing another grievance of the farmers related to their belongings, he said the government has issued strict directions in this regard and nobody will be permitted to misappropriate the belongings of farmers. "To address the concern about belongings of farmers, the Patiala district police has also appointed SP-rank officer Jasbir Singh as the nodal officer and farmers facing issues related to their possessions can directly contact Jasbir Singh at the mobile number 90713-00002 for immediate assistance," said Gill, while adding the Patiala police has already registered three first information reports (FIRs) in this regard. In a related development, the state government on Monday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal was not in police custody and was “free.”

The leader of the joint forum “Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political)” has been admitted to a hospital in Patiala on his own wish, the government said. Taking note, Justice Manisha Batra had directed the state to ensure his family could meet him within the hospital premises without any hindrance. On Friday late evening, the High Court issued notice to the government on a habeas corpus plea filed for Dallewal, who was allegedly illegally detained from the ongoing farmer's protest. 

Filed by Bharti Kisan Union’s (Doaba) vice president Gurmukh Singh, who is part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the petition had sought urgent hearing and was taken up in the evening by the bench of Justice Batra after the court's working hours. The petition claimed unlawful detention of Dallewal and sought his release. The detention violated his fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 22, as no formal arrest procedures or charges were followed, the petition said, adding the court should also intervene to ensure the safety and security of Dallewal and other "missing farmer leaders".

Dallewal was detained along with another farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher following a meeting with Union ministers in Chandigarh on March 19. Following this, the Punjab Police cleared the year-long blockades on the national highways by farmers at the inter-state borders at Shambhu and Khanauri. The police shifted Dallewal to a private hospital in Patiala on Sunday morning. His fast entered the 119th day on Monday. Before being shifted to Patiala, Dallewal was kept at the PWD rest house in Jalandhar Cantonment under tight security. "The detention appears to be an attempt to suppress the farmers’ movement and instil fear among peaceful protesters, violating the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and expression, assembly, and association under Article 19 of the Constitution," the petitioner added.

/IANS