Realtor officials booked for destroying crop, thrashing farmer

Senior officials of realtor Vatika India Next here were booked for damaging ready-to-harvest mustard crop and beating up a farmer, police said Friday.

Company officers Jamal Khan and Rajbir Singh along with 15-20 unidentified people were booked under sections 447 (mischief with property), 427 (causing damage to property), 323 (thrashing, beating), 506 (threatening with life) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.

Rajesh of Shikohpur village here had complained to the police that employees of Vatika India Next company destroyed his mustard crop cultivated on more than half an acre of land in Sikanderpur village.

"Company officers Jamal Khan and Rajbir Singh came with three policemen and 15-20 bouncers and crushed the crop with four JCB machines," Rajesh said in his complaint.

"We were busy in the annual religious and sports fest "Shyam Ji Ka Mela' at Sikanderpur village March 12, when some people came with the four JCBs (digging machines) and destroyed the crop within minutes. They also threatened my relative Satbir Singh (who was present at the plot) of dire consequences," Pradeep Kumar, another farmer, said.

Rajesh's elder brother Surender said: "There was more than three acres of land in sector 82-A belonging to a family -- of which more than half an acre is with us while Vatika purchased the other 2.5 acres. There was crop on our share while Vatika's land share was barren."

"We asked the senior Vatika officer to join investigation with papers but they did not respond," police officer Pawan Kumar said.

"We have registered the case against Jamal Khan, Rajbir Singh and some other people under various sections of the Indian Penal Code," police officer Hardeep Hooda told IANS.

Vatika India Next is building houses, flats, villas and developing commercial sites in more than 700 acres after purchasing land from farmers of Sikanderpur, Shikohpur, Sihi and Rampura villages.

Its official Rajbir told IANS they would compensate the farmer if the company had done any wrong.

"We took the step following orders from our seniors. We will compensate if we were wrong," he said.