The Opposition Congress members raised the issue of an elderly person’s death due to alleged police lathi charge on demonstrating farmers in Abhanpur region near Raipur on August 27 this year in Chhattisgarh Assembly on Tuesday.
Raising the issue during the calling attention motion, Congress member Dhanendra Sahu said that a large number of farmers who were heading towards Gangrel dam (Dhamtari) to demand release of water from the dam were stopped on National Highway-30 by police personnel.
Police resorted to lathi charge as well as lobbed teargas shells on farmers leaving several of them injured on August 27 this year, he informed the House.
An elderly person identified as Kejuram Barle succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment on September 2, said Sahu, adding that neither action was taken against the responsible police personnel nor compensation was provided to the victim’s kin.
In his reply, Home Minister Ramsevak Paikra said that it is incorrect that police resorted to lathi charge and lobbed teargas shells on farmers. To avert any untoward incident, police resorted to using mild force and arrested Sahu along with 3209 others, who were later released.
According to Paikra, during medical examination of injured persons, it was confirmed that Kejuram did not suffer any injury but he complained about eye-irritation and problem in breathing following which he was shifted to Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur and on August 28,his relatives took him home without intimating the hospital administration.
Kejuram was suffering from asthma, blood pressure and urinary problems and he died on September 1, he said.