Farmer Killed in Haryana Clash Died from Gunshot Wound, Autopsy Shows

According to the post-mortem examination report of 21-year-old Shubh Karan Singh, the farmer who was slain in skirmishes with the Haryana Police at Khanauri last week, he died from a gunshot injury to the head and had "foreign bodies" identified in his skull.

Prior to the autopsy, a CT scan revealed many metal pellets in his skull. According to medico-legal records released by hospitals in Patiala last week, numerous protesting farmers who were hurt by police action had metal pellet wounds on their upper bodies.

The inspection, which took place on Wednesday, revealed that he had no additional damage marks on his body in addition to an injury mark on the occipital area, which is the backmost part of the skull. HT has seen the document.

The doctors who performed the assessment said that they had given the Patiala police the report and declined to provide any more details.

According to persons with knowledge of the situation, the police also received the metal pellets discovered in Singh's skull. They may send them to ballistics specialists to determine the kind of weapon that was used.

Thursday was Singh's cremation day.

At first, Singh's family and protesting farmers refused to let police do a post-mortem investigation, insisting that police officers be charged with murder in connection with Singh's death and that Singh be given "martyr status" for his suffering.

For more than two weeks, thousands of farmers have been encamped at the Punjab-Haryana borders, calling on the federal government to pass legislation establishing minimum support prices (MSPs) for all crops.

The case's investigating official, Punjab Police sub-inspector Yashpal Sharma, said that he had not yet received the post-mortem report at the time of publication.

The Garhi police station in Haryana's station house officer, Suresh Kumar, said, "We have not received any post-mortem report yet and therefore cannot comment on it."

HT revealed last week that several demonstrators had pellet wounds. At that time, a top Haryana Police official said, "We are aware of the development but have not received a formal report," requesting anonymity. We are investigating the situation.

The inspection, which took place on Wednesday, revealed that he had just one damage mark on his occipital area and that there were no additional markings on his body. HT has seen the document.