HC seeks status report from Haryana on Jat agitation

Chandigarh, Feb 23 With 19 lives being lost and property and assets worth thousands of crores being destroyed in just five days of mayhem in Haryana during the Jat agitation, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to submit a status report on the issue by next Monday.

A division bench of Justice S.K. Mittal and Justice H.S. Sidhu issued the direction following a public interest litigation filed by Bhiwani resident Murari Lal Gupta.

They also directed Haryana's Advocate General B.R. Mahajan to prepare an inventory of the damage in the state and the losses suffered by people.

The petitioner pointed out that there was complete breakdown of law and order machinery in the state during the Jat agitation and common people were left to fend for themselves with the police and administration nowhere to be seen.

He pointed out that Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jind districts were worst affected by the violence and people were living in terror.

The nine-day-long agitation paralysed life in the state and neighbouring states suffered due to its fallout as highways and railway tracks were blocked and damaged by Jat protestors.