Following claims that some trolleys stolen from the Khanauri farmers’ protest were recovered from a location linked to the husband of the Nabha Municipal Council President, farmer union leaders staged a protest. During the protest, a clash occurred between the DSP and the protesting farmers.
SNPNEWS.IN News Nabha (Patiala) Update, Sep 25: On March 19, 2025, Punjab Police arrested key farmer union leaders protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders over MSP and other farmer demands after a meeting in Chandigarh. On the same day, Punjab Police dismantled the farmers’ protest at the Punjab-Haryana border in Khanauri, removing tents, temporary structures, and farmers’ vehicles, particularly tractor-trolleys.
In the following days, farmer unions (Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukt Kisan Morcha) claimed that over 100 trolleys, including specialized ones equipped with ACs and LED screens, went missing from Khanauri and Shambhu. The farmers accused the police of involvement in the theft.
Following the controversy, Patiala Range DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu stated that out of 650 trolleys at Khanauri, 157 were taken by the farmers themselves, and the rest were stored in a secure yard from where farmers retrieved them. He claimed no complaints of theft were received.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that if complaints were received, those responsible for theft would face strict punishment, and the damage would be investigated. Following the farmers’ identification, the police recovered six stolen trolleys from nearby areas and registered three FIRs in this regard.
On August 23, 2025, leaders of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Azad), along with the police, recovered two tires and hooks from a workshop owned by Pankaj Pappu, the husband of the Nabha Municipal Council President and a political leader. Farmer leaders linked this recovery to the trolleys stolen from the Khanauri protest. Immediately after the recovery, on August 23, 2025, the police registered an FIR against Pankaj Pappu under theft and related charges. Farmer unions demanded his arrest, but he was released on bail.
Following this development, farmer organizations staged a protest outside the office of DSP Mandeep Kaur Cheema in Nabha, demanding a fair investigation and strict action against Pankaj Pappu in the tractor-trolley theft case. The protest was largely peaceful.
On September 22, 2025, when DSP Mandeep Kaur Cheema was leaving her office for some work, farmers stopped her vehicle. This led to a scuffle between the two sides, resulting in minor injuries to individuals on both sides.
DSP Mandeep Kaur accused the farmers of pushing her, attempting to tear her uniform, and pulling her hair. She stated that she had come to talk, but the situation escalated due to the farmers blocking her way. She also warned of legal action against the protesting farmers.
Farmer leader Gamdur Singh denied the DSP’s allegations, stating that the protest was peaceful. He accused the DSP and her staff of misbehavior, attempting to hit farmers with the vehicle, and disrespecting several farmers by removing their turbans. The farmers labeled this as police high-handedness.
The police deployed additional security forces to control the protest and stated that FIRs would be registered against those involved in the clash. As of now, no arrests or immediate reports of cases being filed have been reported.