The Delhi Police have arrested 44 people, including the man who allegedly attacked a police officer with a sword on Friday during a clash at Singhu border, one of the protest sites of the agitating farmers.
A case has been registered at the Alipur police station, and a probe has been initiated. All the arrested have been booked for attempt to murder and obstructing public servant among other charges.
The man who allegedly attacked SHO (Alipur) Pradeep Paliwal has been identified as Ranjeet Singh, 22, a resident of Punjab's Kazampur village.
The Delhi Police on Friday said that Paliwal has suffered grievous injuries on his hand. The alleged attack happened when Paliwal intervened in the clash between farmers and a large group of men claiming to be local residents over vacating the Singhu border protest site—one of the hotspots of the ongoing farmers' agitation against the farm laws.
On Friday around 1.30 pm, about 200 people, who said they were local villagers, reached the Singhu border, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.
They went to meet the leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee faction at the Alipur red light to demand that the protesters vacate the area and open the border, he said.
"They said they have been providing all kinds of help to the protesters for the last two months, but now, the protest is affecting their livelihood. Hence, they requested them to clear the road. They had come on Thursday as well with the same request," Additional Delhi Police PRO Anil Mittal said.
Some farmers resisted, and pushing and pulling of the police barricades, which had been erected to secure the langar tents, ensued. Later, stone pelting started, the police said.
While Paliwal was trying to convince the farmers to stop throwing stones, he was allegedly attacked by Singh, who was overpowered and apprehended at the spot, they said.
Paliwal sustained grievous injuries, and five other police personnel were injured as well, the senior officer said.
However, the protesters have alleged that those who visited the protest site were not locals but goons armed with sticks.
Situation at Delhi's Haryana border at Singhu deteriorated on Friday afternoon as a group of men claiming to be from nearby villages clashed with the protesting farmers, and the mob was seen armed with stones, lathis, and swords.
The group, wanting to get the over two-month-old road blockage cleared, came to blows with the farmers after heated arguments; following this, the group damaged tents, leading to stone pelting from both sides.
(With inputs from agencies)
