Covid Violation: Case Against Farmers Squatting At Delhi Border Traffic Signal

The Delhi police have filed cases against a group of farmers who had been squatting at a traffic signal at the Singhu border point between Delhi and Haryana over the past many days. The cases have been filed for violation of the COVID-19 protocol, police officials have said.

The farmer group had entered Delhi forcibly through the Lampur border on November 29 and had since been squatting at the traffic signal in Singhu, blocking the road, officials said.

On December 7, officials at the Alipur police station filed a first information report against the squatters for not following social distancing norms under the Epidemic Act and other laws that are applicable now in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These farmers are part of a larger group of thousands from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, and other states, that has sought to enter Delhi over the past many weeks to protest against three new agricultural laws brought in by the central government in September.

While negotiations have been on with the central government, the farmers have, over the past few weeks, sought to block key roads leading to or out of the national capital.

Amid heavy police deployment at the Singhu border area, two Indian Police Service officers, who had led the force in localities where the farmers have been protesting, have tested positive for coronavirus, according to officials. The officers are now under home isolation, officials said.

After rejecting the Centre's proposals on Wednesday to amend the laws, farmer leaders on Thursday said they would intensify their agitation by blocking railways to put pressure on the government for their repeal.