India govt asks police to issue lookout notices against 20 farmer leaders over Red Fort siege

Home Ministry of India has directed Delhi Police to issue lookout notices against the farmer leaders who have been named in the multiple FIRs filed over violence at the Red Fort on Republic Day.

The Home Ministry has also ordered Delhi Police to ask the accused farmer leaders to submit their passports.

The farmer leaders have been asked why action should not be taken against them when they have gone against their agreement with Delhi Police and were in talks with them for days. The farmer leaders have been asked to reply within three days.

Delhi Police has been asked to serve notices to more than 20 farmer leaders, including Yogendra Yadav Baldev Singh Sirsa and Rajewal. The farmer leaders have been asked to answer within three days the reasons behind the protesters flouting rules and going against the agreed route of the tractor rally.

A day after violence during the tractor parade, the Delhi Police has named 37 farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, in an FIR that mentioned charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder among others.

The action against the farmer leaders came as Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava alleged that several of them made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence.

Police has also said that the role of farmer leaders will be investigated in connection with the violence that left 394 security personnel injured and a protestor dead. So far 25 FIRs have been filed over the Republic Day rampage.

According to the FIR registered at Samaypur Badli police station against unknown persons, the protestors robbed the official pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition along with two tear gas guns during the violence.

The farmer leaders named in the FIR include Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chanduni, Rakesh Tikait, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Harinder Singh Lakhoval.