MUTILATED BODY OF MAN FOUND TIED TO POLICE BARRICADE NEAR SINGHU BORDER

The body of a man, with hands and legs chopped off, was found hanging on a police barricade at the farmers’ protest site near the Singhu border in the early hours of Friday. The man was identified as Lakhbir Singh, a resident of village Cheema Khurd in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. Nihang Saravjit Singh, a man belonging to the Nihang order, surrendered to the police on Friday evening claiming that he had committed the murder. He has been arrested and will be produced in court on Saturday.

The deceased, about 35-36 years old, used to work as a labourer, did not have any criminal records or affiliations with any political party, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hansraj.

“At about 5 am today, Kundli police station received information about a body of a man hanged near a stage where the farmers have been protesting at the Singhu border,” the DSP told reporters here today. “A police inspector reached the site with a team and found that the man’s body only had his undergarment on and his hands and legs were chopped off. He was hanged to a police barricade… The probe is on,” he added.

Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit, was a labourer and is survived by his wife and three daughters, the eldest of whom is 12 years old.

There were unconfirmed reports that the man was mutilated and killed for allegedly desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. His body was then strung up on the police barricade.

Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, Samyukta Kisan Morcha senior leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal said, “When we reached the spot some people were saying that the deceased man, before dying, admitted he was sent by someone and given Rs 30,000. I don’t have the video proof of it. Government should probe this matter thoroughly.” Terming the incident a “conspiracy”, the SKM alleged that an attempt was being made to give communal colour to the morcha.

The umbrella body of farmers’ unions further condemned the killing, and stated that they were against “sacrilege of any religious text and symbol.”

He said, “Samyukt Kisan Morcha” condemns the gruesome killing of Lakhbir Singh. “We want to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased, have no relation with SKM. The Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text, symbol.”