The protesting farmer who died after his tractor overturned at Central Delhi’s ITO during the Republic Day’s tractor rally on Tuesday, had recently returned from Australia where he was studying. According to officials, his family had no idea that he had joined the protesters at the Delhi borders.
The deceased has been identified as Navreet Singh Hundal, 27, was a native of Bilapsur area of Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh and came to Ghazipur border around a week ago to participate in the parade. He was living in Australia with his wife and parents and was into agriculture.
According to an Indian Express report, an official said, “The family told us they didn’t know Navreet was in Delhi and protesting with farmers. They said Navreet had left home to meet a relative at Bajpur (in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand).”
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Meanwhile, District Magistrate, Rampur, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said the family suspects he went to Delhi from Bajpur, adding that they will take further action after they get official confirmation on Navreet’s death.
Circle Officer, Bilaspur, Satish Kumar said, “The family told us that Navreet had returned from Australia, where he was doing his graduation, due to some issues. We are yet to verify the reason.”
Footage of the incident showing a blue tractor crashing through yellow Delhi Police barricades at high speed before rolling over twice and coming to rest by the side of the road has been completely captured in CCTV cameras installed in the area.
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Farmers draped the body in Tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem. The farmers kept insisting on taking back the body to the village at the earliest.
Speaking about the incident, a senior Delhi Police officer said, “Some farmers were driving rashly in an attempt to hit us. We saw the tractor hitting the barricades. Our personnel went to rescue him, but a group of agitated farmers stopped them… It is suspected he died because of the accident.”
The tractor was part of a group from the Ghazipur border that had taken a detour from the agreed upon route for Tuesday’s rally, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.
Protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital and entered the iconic Red Fort and ITO in the heart of the city on Tuesday after hundreds of them deviated from pre-decided routes, prompting security personnel to resort to lathicharge and tear gas.
With PTI inputs
