Abohar, May 3

A senior farmer leader, Jaspal Singh, who was arrested on April 29 in connection with a protest against then Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje on September 8, 2018, has been released on bail.

The police in Sriganganagar had registered a case after a lathicharge on protesting farmers while the convoy of then CM was passing by on the Sriganganagar-Padampur road.

Those named in the case included former sarpanch Jaspal Singh, Gramin Mazdoor Kisan Samiti (GKS) state chief Ranjit Singh Raju, Santveer Singh Mohanpura, and former Congress district president Prithipal Singh Sandhu. About one-and-a-half dozen farmer leaders were arrested in the case. This matter is still pending in the court.

According to information, after the case was registered, Jaspal Singh had gone abroad. He returned about two months ago and was arrested on April 29. As he was released on bail by a court last evening, several farmers, including Ranjit Singh Raju, reached the jail to greet him.

Earlier, on April 30, a large number of farmers gathered at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Padampur, in protest against his arrest. They condemned the administration and gheraoed the police station.

Jaspal Singh, a former sarpanch, has also been a block president of GKS. After he was released from jail, farmers reached Gurdwara Singh Sabha and offered ardas. Garlands and sweets were offered to Singh.

He was escorted to his village, Chak 12 BB, in a procession amid slogans of 'kisan ekta zindabad'. Farmers said no government will be allowed to ignore their demands for canal water and MSP for crops.