Bhopal: Many of those who were arrested by the police during the farmers’ protest on June 9 at Fanda village, about 20 km away from Bhopal, are still in jail. The police allege that the accused were involved in rioting and stone pelting. However, their family members claim that they were all innocent.
On June 9, during protests the protesters burnt two vehicles including a truck and damaged at least six college buses. The police arrested 53 people out of which 25, who were arrested under Section 151 of the CrPC have been released while the remaining 28, who were charged with rioting, getting armed with deadly weapons, endangering life of others, using criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and others under relevant Sections of IPC are still in jail. Among the 28, five are minors.
“My brother is 17-year-old, who has been falsely accused by the police of being involved in rioting. He works as a labourer in construction sites. On the that day, he was going to the construction site in Sehore along with one of his colleagues on a two-wheeler when he was stopped by police near Fanda village and arrested,” said Akash Chourasia, a resident of Bhim Nagar in Bhopal with visible distress on his face while speaking to Free Press.
“In the evening when he didn’t return home, we called him on his mobile but it was switched off. Then we contacted the other labourers on the site who said that he had not come for work. It was the contractor under who he used to work who came to know about his arrest and went to the police station. He tried to explain to the cops that he was construction worker but they insisted that he was involved in rioting, Chourasia said, adding that his brother was thyroid patient and was getting the required medications.
