Autopsy of farmer Chanduram conducted

Sriganganagar, Oct 30 (UNI) The impasse over the last rites for farmer Chanduram Saran finally ended today with the autopsy being conducted in Ganganagar district, six days after his death in police lathicharge in Gharsana.

After a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today, state Congress president B D Kalla announced that Chanduram's body will be handed over to doctors for the autopsy.

The district administration then sent a team of four doctors to 6 DD village, the camping site of the agitating farmers. The post-mortem was conducted at a nearby site itself.

The farmers allege that Chanduram died after sustaining injuries in the police lathicharge in Gharsana.

Dr Kalla, former Congress minister Dr Chandrabhan and CPM leader Amraram were present during the exercise. Dr Kalla said the cremation plans would be decided keeping in view the stand of the state government.

He said Mrs Raje has agreed to Chanduram's family and farmers' demand of a relief package of Rs five lakh but was insisting on the withdrawal of their second demand of a job for a member of the family.

Dr Kalla said Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangharsh Samiti, spearheading the farmers' agitation for irrigation water from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project, will decide on the future strategy after receving the autopsy report.

Meanwhile, police are raiding several places to arrest farmer leaders in Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district, where five people have been grieviously injured.

Eyewitnesses say three dozen people, including women and children, were hurt in the police lathicharge in Rawatsar when they tried to disperse the crowd trying to seige the SDM office. At least five policemen were also injured in the stone pelting.

Hanumangarh zilla Pramukh Rajendra Makkasar alleged that the police baton-charged peacefully agitating farmers.

However, Hanumangarh District Collector T Ravikanth said the crowd broke the barricades around the SDM office and suddenly started pelting stones at the police.

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