On the morning of February 21, 2024, the Haryana police used lathi charge, tear gas, rubber bullet and heavy force on the farmers who were protesting for assured floor prices or Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crop production.

As a result a young farmer and protestor Mr. Shubhkaran Singh (21) was killed at the Khanauri border near Punjab’s Patran town in Patiala district. The preliminary inquiry by doctors at Patiala’s Government Rajindra Hospital noted the suspicion that his death occurred due to a bullet injury.

According to media reports the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Patiala range, Mr. H.S. Bhullar told reporters that Shubhkaran was suspected to have died from injuries sustained when security forces had fired rubber bullets at farmers. They did his, the DIG said, because farmers had tried to create a smokescreen to break the Haryana police’s barricade. This takes the number of farmer protestors injured in police excesses to 177. The Patiala district civil surgeon has said that most of the injuries were from dropping of tear gas shells or rubber bullet firings.

We believe the use of force, rubber pellets and tear gas and firing by police against peacefully protesting farmers is an act of reprisal against the protestors.

This amounts to a violation of a host of rights, which includes the right to life, the right to protest and the suppression of freedom of speech and expression.

The Right to protest is recognized under several international instruments, including: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 8).

HRDA urgently appeal to you to exercise Section 12 (a) of the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019, and take Suo moto cognizance of the death of farmer Subhkaran Singh and injuries of 177 farmers and initiate an independent inquiry through NHRC’s investigation wing.