Despite court orders, dalit evicted from home

Parvesh Kumar Sharma

PATIALA: The family of a dalit has been attacked twice, allegedly by Fagan Marja village sarpanch, with help from some cops, to grab the land they have been tilling for the last around 30 years, after taking it on lease.

The family was thrown out of their home and land, despite stay orders from a court. The accused are roaming free openly without any fear of law.

Police allegedly kept dalit Lachman Singh, along with his family members, in illegal confinement for over two days and tortured them, so as to terrorize other residents of the village, sources said.

Police have even refused to register an FIR over the robbery committed twice in Lachman's house, first on May 15, 2012 and then again on July 2, 2012, against the sarpanch and his supporters. They had entered the house after breaking the gates when the family refused to open doors and took away household items in a tractor trolley, with the help of police. Since then, the family has been staying in a single-room dilapidated accommodation.

"Cops are acting as private army of sarpanch and an Akali leader of the area. This is despite stay orders from a civil court on May 9, 2012. The house was looted on May 15, 2012." alleged Darshan Singh, district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda).

"On both days, cops accompanied sarpanch Gurmeet and stood guard outside my house during the loot. When I showed him court orders, the sarpanch abused me and my family and said that he is the highest judge of the village," Lachman Singh alleged.

The village sarpanch, in connivance with panchayat and rural development officers, allegedly changed the revenue records and gave five acres of land, which Lachman had taken on lease, to some other influential persons of the village without conducting the mandatory auctioning. But when the family got to know about it, they secured stay orders from court, which could not stop the sarpanch and cops.

The family has announced to start an indefinite huger strike in front of DC office here on July 22 if the authorities fail to ensure justice.

When contacted, Tripadi SHO, Karnsher, denied the allegations.

About 72 families have so far been forcibly evicted allegedly by the village sarpanch from 126 acres of land. But no one dared to challenge him as cops were openly supporting the sarpanch under alleged pressure from a senior Akali leader, sources said.

[Courtesy: TOI, July 11, 2012]