Farmers brave chilly night at Ramlila Maidan, 'Khudai Khidmatgaars' offer comfort
New Delhi : It is past midnight and a group of farmers are raising chants of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' while a few volunteers are offering tea to other peasants at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to beat the cold.
Thousands of farmers from across the country converged Thursday at the historic Ramlila Ground after journeys that took some as long as 36 hours to complete to press for their demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce.
They are spending the night at the ground before marching to Parliament on Friday.
Kartar Singh, 50, a sugarcane farmer from Sambal district, Uttar Pradesh, is anxious about the march tomorrow and cannot sleep, but he's not complaining.
"We have not come here to sleep. Farmers have converged in Delhi to remind the Union government that the party leading it had made promises of waiving off loans in its manifesto. And, its been four and a half years since they came to power," he said, with an edge of anger in his voice.
Singh, a father of two sons is from Fatehpur Sarai village and, his younger son (22 years) has taken the field work while he is away.
"My wife and children have told me, that I should fight and stay even for a week in Delhi, if needed," he told PTI.
Inside the tents, farmers, both men and women, from all parts of India try to sleep in a chilly night, while many sat huled together, discussing the next strategy and family issues.
But, a group of volunteers, belonging to welfare organisation 'Khudai Khidmatgar' are trying to offer some comfort to these wearied farmers in the cold weather.
Shahjeb Jamal, a civil engineering student at Jamia Islamia and a volunteer with the group is lugging around a steel container and a hands out paper cups to farmers as they huddle around.
"Our organisation's philosophy as envisioned by its founder Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, is service and public harmony, and so we are here. We Stand its the farmers," he said.
Jamal said Friday morning another batch of volunteers would be coming to offer tea and some breakfast to them.
A group of 25-30 doctors also offered medical aid till about 11 pm, some of them took off from work to volunteer.
Rashid, a junior resident at AIIMS was among the doctor's volunteers who attended to people till night.
"I took an off today from work, as I had to be here. They feed us, and we are not doing any favour by helping them, we are serving them," he told PTI.
Doctors also came from Aligarh Muslim university and Rohtak and Chandigarh and other Delhi hospitals to assist farmers, many of whom complained of body ache as they had travelled long distance.
"One person had fainted, so, after first aid, we sent him to LNJP Hospital," said Mahtab Alam, a doctor at a Delhi government hospital.
The historic ground, known for hosting big political events over the years, resonated with slogans like 'Ayodhya nahi, karz maafi chahiye' earlier in the day.
Now, many are waiting for the crack of dawn, for start of a new day, filled with unwavering hope.
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Bengal police examining CCTV footage, multiple teams set up to trace killers of Suvendu's aide
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Police are examining CCTV footage and have formed multiple teams to trace the men involved in the killing of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide Chandranath Rath, a senior officer said on Thursday.
Police are also probing whether contract killers were engaged in the murder of Rath, who was shot dead in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night.
A forensic team visited the spot on Thursday morning and collected samples, while officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) also joined the probe, he said.
"Going by the circumstantial evidence, it seems that the murder was pre-planned. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the crime spot and nearby areas, while multiple police teams have been formed to trace the assailants," the officer said.
Police, however, are yet to make any arrests in connection with the crime.
According to preliminary information, Rath's car was intercepted near Doharia between Doltala and Madhyamgram Chowmatha around 10.15 pm on Wednesday by motorcycle-borne men who opened fire before fleeing.
"A detailed investigation has begun. We are pursuing several leads," the officer said.
Rath, 42, was returning to his residence in Madhyamgram from Kolkata when the incident occurred, he said. The deceased is survived by his son and wife.
The vehicle was being driven by Buddhadeb Bera, who also sustained bullet injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kolkata, another officer said.
Bera, who underwent a couple of surgeries, remained "very critical", sources in the hospital said.
Preliminary findings suggested that the assailants intercepted Rath's vehicle in a coordinated manner before firing multiple rounds from close range, the officer said.
Investigators claimed the vehicle carrying Rath was first blocked near Doharia junction by a small four-wheeler, after which a motorcycle rider approached Rath's car and started firing from close range.
"Rath’s car was intercepted around 100 metres from the housing complex where he lived. The small car came in front of his vehicle, slowing down its pace, and it seems that was when the killers shot him," the officer said.
The occupants of the small four-wheeler later abandoned the vehicle and escaped on motorcycles, police said.
Police suspected that the killers fled on two motorcycles in two directions.
"One probably took the main road towards Jessore Road, while the other took a narrow street on the left leading to Rajarhat," the officer said.
Another police officer said CCTV footage showed the car travelling towards Madhyamgram before the attack.
Investigators said they are taking help from both Kolkata Police and Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate to check CCTV footage installed under their respective jurisdictions and study the movement of the killers.
"The number plate attached to the small car left by the assailants was found to be fake. It belongs to a person based in Siliguri, who works in a tea estate. The chassis number and engine number of the small car have been erased. It indicates that they had planned the murder," he said.
The person, in Siliguri, is being interrogated by Mothabari police, he added.
"He is claiming to have uploaded a photograph of his vehicle on an online platform with the intention of selling it. We are verifying his claims and rechecking them," the officer said.
"We have recovered empty cartridges and live ammunition from the crime spot. At this stage, the motive behind the attack is not clear," the DGP said.
Police suspect the use of sophisticated firearms during the attack.
On Thursday, police recovered a bullet shell from the streets approaching Rath's residence, the sleuth said.
According to preliminary forensic inputs, the assailants might have used Glock 47X pistols, he said.
"A weapon of this nature is generally not used by ordinary criminals. We are examining whether professional shooters were involved," a senior West Bengal Police officer said on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, one of the locals claimed to have seen three people on a bike "waiting" on the streets last night.
He also said that they had little clue about Rath's association with Adhikari.
"We did not know much about Rath. Whether he was an aide of Adhikari was not known to us. He used to return home in the same car with a West Bengal Assembly sticker at the same time everyday," the local resident claimed.
