Surrendered Nihang says 'no regrets' over Singhu lynching
Nihang Sarabjit Singh, who had surrendered to the Haryana-police'>Haryana Police claiming responsibility for the gruesome killing of a 35-year-old man at the farmers' protest in Delhi's Singhu border, had told the media he has "no regrets" for the brutal killing. Before his surrender, Sarabjit and his associates said that they would do it again if someone "dares to do a crime like sacrilege again."
Sarabjit 'punished' the man for 'desecrating' Sikh holy book
Claiming responsibility for the crime, Sarabjit told the media that he had "punished" the victim for "desecrating" the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. Following his surrender, he was taken into custody by the police and will be produced before a court on Saturday. Police said that a First Information Report (FIR) had been registered against unknown persons on murder and other charges.
Police rushed the victim to hospital, but could not survive
Haryana Police reportedly rushed to the spot after receiving the information around 5 am on Friday. The victim was reportedly rushed to a civil hospital but succumbed to his injuries and was reportedly declared brought dead.
What happened at Singhu border on Friday
A man was brutally lynched and tied to a barricade at the farmers' protest site at Delhi's Singhu border Friday. In a viral video, the victim can be seen severely injured with his hand chopped off. The video shows some men in blue turbans and robes, identical to Nihang Sikhs, standing around the victim and accusing him of desecrating the Sikh holy book.
Nihangs accused the victim of 'sacrilege' attempt
The videos of the crime show the victim lying in a pool of blood at the protest site pleading with Nihangs in Punjabi. However, Nihangs were seen asking the victim where he had come from and who sent him to commit "sacrilege."
Victim's family claimed he could not have committed 'sacrilege'
The victim has been identified as Lakhbir Singh (35), belonging to the village Cheema Khurd in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. According to the police, the victim is a Dalit and worked as a farm laborer. Police also claimed he has no criminal record or involvement with any political party. Meanwhile, Singh's family claimed that he could not have committed sacrilege.
SKM demands a probe; distances itself from Nihangs
Separately, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the farmers' body that is spearheading the protest against the Centre's farm laws, condemned the killing and demanded a probe into the incident. "Both the parties to the incident, the Nihang group and the deceased person, have no relation with SKM," it said. Demanding punishment for the culprits, SKM said it would "cooperate" with the police in the investigation.
Farmers have been protesting for over 10 months
It's been over 10 months since vexed farmers have been protesting against three contentious farm laws at the borders of Delhi, including the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border. The farmers are mainly demanding the repeal of the farm laws, which they think will take away the minimum support price for their crops. Despite several rounds of talks between the Centre and farmer leaders, resolution remains far-fetched.
