Move High Court, Supreme Court tells farmer-petitioners

Declines to entertain plea for CBI probe into "excesses" on U.P. ryots

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a public interest litigation petition for a CBI enquiry into the allegations of violence by the Uttar Pradesh police against farmers who were protesting against forcible acquisition of land at Bhatta Parsaul.

A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and C.K. Prasad asked the petitioner to approach the Allahabad High Court which was already hearing a similar petition on this issue.

Justice Singhvi told senior counsel U.U. Lalit, appearing for Satish Kumar and seven other farmers: “It is appropriate that once the High Court has taken cognisance of the matter and issues notice, this matter too should be heard by them.”

Mr. Lalit submitted that considering the fact that thousands of farmers were rendered homeless and facing constant threats, the matter should be taken up by the Supreme Court and order a CBI probe. He alleged that the official machinery, including the local police, had let loose a reign of terror after forcibly acquiring the land under Section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act.

However, Justice Singhvi told counsel that it would not be proper for the Supreme Court to entertain the petition since the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes were also investigating the alleged excesses.

The petitioners said the State government had been forcibly acquiring the land from farmers at low prices for construction of the Yamuna Expressway without a public hearing. This land was in turn being sold to private developers at exorbitant price.

They said that when they were resorting to peaceful agitation on May 7, the local authorities intervened and the incidents turned violent. The authorities imposed restrictions on the movement of the people and resorted to murder, torture, arson, looting and intimidation of the villagers. The petitioners sought a direction for an impartial probe by the CBI to ensure that those responsible for the heinous crimes were brought to justice.