High Court Orders Haryana to Reopen Shambhu Border for Trial Period

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has instructed the Haryana government to remove the barricade at the Shambhu border near Ambala within a week. This decision, made on an experimental basis, aims to alleviate the inconvenience faced by the public due to the blockade. The court also directed Punjab to manage the protesters within its territory as needed.

Farmers' Meeting Scheduled

Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border since February 13, following their halted Delhi Chalo march. They have called a meeting on July 16 to discuss the court's directive. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated, "We had earlier made it clear that we had not blocked the road and the barricading had been done by the Centre and Haryana government."

The high court's directions came in response to multiple petitions related to farmer issues and road blockades, including one filed by Haryana-based advocate Uday Pratap Singh. The court emphasized that both states should ensure the highway at Shambhu Border is restored for public convenience.

Impact of Blockades

The blockade has caused significant inconvenience, particularly affecting transport vehicles and buses. The diversion routes are mainly used by private transport, leading to major disruptions for the general public. The court noted that the number of protesters has decreased to 400-500 from an initial 13,000-15,000.

The court also highlighted that another entry point at Khanauri Border in District Sangrur remains blocked. This ongoing obstruction affects Punjab's lifelines due to mere apprehensions, despite the reduced number of protesters.

Investigation into Shubhkaran Singh's Death

Meanwhile, Haryana additional advocate general Deepak Sabherwal revealed that farmer Shubhkaran Singh was killed by a shotgun bullet at Khanauri border on February 21. This information was based on a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL). Sabherwal stated, "The CFSL report would go on to show that the pellets under reference were found to have been fired through shotgun and correspond to size 1 pellets of shotgun cartridges."

The high court observed that no police or paramilitary force uses shotguns. Jhajjar Police Commissioner Satish Balan has been appointed as the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe Shubhkaran's case.

Ensuring Law and Order

The high court also instructed farmer groups involved in the agitation to maintain law and order. The SKM Non-Political and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are leading the Delhi Chalo march, demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

In response to the court's directive, Pandher mentioned that farmers never intended to block roads. He added, "If the government opens the highway, then farmers will not create any obstacle in traffic movement."

The court concluded that it is in the public's interest for Haryana not to continue blocking highways indefinitely. It allowed Haryana to take necessary steps against protesters if they violate set limits.