Kamal Nath Govt Begins Process to Shut Cases Lodged Against Farmers During 2017 Mandsaur Violence

Bhopal: The Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh has started the process of withdrawing cases slapped against close to 100 farmers in Mandsaur during the 2017 massive unrest.

These cases were filed by Madhya Pradesh police against the farmers during the previous BJP government in the state and Congress had promised to take back the cases during poll campaigning.

Hitesh Chaudhary, superintendent of police in Mandusaur, said FIRs were lodged against 100 farmers in year 2017 and a process has been initiated to withdraw these cases.

Chaudhary said in cases where the police probe found no concrete evidences against the farmers, the police has filed closure report in the court and the judiciary would decide further course of action.

A total of 51 cases were lodged in the Pipliyamandi area, the epicentre of farmers’ wrath, after five agitating farmers were killed in police firing on June 6, 2017 and another, Ghanshyam Dhakad, had later died in police custody.

Affirming the reports of closure of cases against farmers, Pradesh Congress Committee announced on Twitter, “Cases lodged against Mandsaur farmers would be withdrawn. With this, the Kamal Nath government has fulfilled yet another pre-poll promise.”

A state government-appointed committee, formed to look into the cases slapped on farmers and others in 15 years of BJP rule, had monitored all these cases.

“It was then decided that process of withdrawing cases, including political ones, lodged against farmers would be expedited and in those instances where the farmers concerned have been convicted by the courts, the Congress would be fighting their cases in courts,” Law minister PC Sharma had said last year adding in 2017, close to 3,000 farmers were slapped with different cases in a single month.

The committee had Home minister Bala Bachcan and Parliamentary Affairs minister Dr Govind Singh as its members.

Cases, where the farmers were booked under various charges for raising their demands including better prices for their crops, would be withdrawn, the committee had said.