“Was Tortured”: Man Captured By Farmers, Accused Of Planning To Disrupt Tractor Rally

The young man detained on Friday by farmers at Singhu on the Delhi border – who accuse him of conspiring to incite violence during their proposed Republic Day tractor rally in Delhi – alleged today that he was “tortured” while in their custody, Haryana Police DGP Manoj Yadav said.

The police were told that two others were still with the farmers and being “beaten mercilessly”.

Mr Yadav also said allegations the police had trained a team to infiltrate the farmers’ camp – to sow discord and assassinate key figures before the Republic Day parade – were “baseless”.

“The farmers are levelling baseless allegations of police sending youth to disrupt their agitation. The suspected youth was tortured by the farmers… he has thrashing marks on his back. He also told us farmers have detained two more men and have beaten them mercilessly,” DGP Yadav said.

The young man was caught late Friday evening and turned over to the police on Saturday. He claimed to have been trained by a policeman to disrupt the farmers’ Republic Day event and break up a protest that has rumbled on for over 60 days.

“Our plan was that on January 26…from the first line, a gun will be fired when Delhi Police tries to stop (the tractor rally). The orders are to first try and stop them (farmers). If they don’t stop, the orders are to fire at them,” he told reporters Saturday night with his face covered.

“On 24th, the plan is to shoot the four people on stage…” he added, naming a SHO from a Haryana police station. That name, however, was not of the policeman assigned there.

He said the “team of infiltrators” included two women.Meanwhile, Mr Yadav also insisted that Haryana Police – who were severely criticised in November and December last year after using excessive force to try and stop farmers from Punjab and neighbouring states from marching to the national capital – would not stop anybody this time.