Punjab: Another Protesting Farmer Dies of Heart Attack in Patiala; Third Such Death Amid Ongoing Farmers' Protest

During the ongoing protest near former Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala, a 45-year-old farmer, Narinder Pal of Bathoi Kalan village, passed away due to an alleged heart attack on Sunday night.

He was participating in a protest organized by BKU Ekta Ugrahan. According to farmer leaders, Narinder Pal fell unwell, prompting immediate transportation to Government Rajindra Hospital. Unfortunately, he could not be revived, leading to his demise.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan Patiala president Jaswinder Singh Baras told TOI that the deceased, survived by two daughters and a son, had a debt of Rs 10 lakh. Farmer leaders expressed their grief, emphasizing that on the fateful day, he felt unwell, and despite swift medical attention, the doctors declared him dead.

The Medical Superintendent at Government Rajindra Hospital, Dr HS Rekhi, confirmed the cause of death as a heart attack. "The deceased farmer was brought to the hospital on Sunday late evening. He died of a heart attack. His body has been kept in the mortuary, and a post-mortem will be conducted soon, after which the body will be handed over to the family," Dr HS Rekhi told TOI. However, farmer leader Dalbara Singh Chajla conveyed that the union has decided against post-mortem and will refrain from cremating the body until the government assures the deceased farmer's family with a job, Rs 10 lakh compensation, and the complete waiver of his debt, as TOI reported.

This is the third time someone has died in the recent farmer protests. The first person died at the Shambhu border, and the second one at Khanauri.

Shambhu border - Gyan Singh

A 65-year-old farmer from Punjab, part of the 'Dilli Chalo' protest at the Shambhu border, died on Friday due to a heart attack. Gyan Singh, residing in Chacheki village, Gurdaspur district, was resting with five other farmers about a kilometre from the Shambhu barrier when he felt unwell around 3 am. An ambulance from Shambhu police station was summoned to transport him to Rajpura Civil Hospital.

However, due to breathlessness, Singh was referred to Rajindra Medical College, Patiala, receiving oxygen support during transit. Although the ambulance reached the medical college by 5 am, Singh passed away around 7:45 am. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray confirmed the cause of death, stating, "The farmer has died of cardiac arrest according to medical records."

A 65-year-old farmer from Punjab, who was at the Shambhu border along with thousands of other farmers participating in the 'Dilli Chalo' protest, passed away early Friday morning after suffering a heart attack.

Khanauri incident - Manjeet Singh

A 72-year-old farmer, participating in the protest at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border, passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening. The deceased, identified as Manjeet Singh from Patiala, served as a unit president of BKU (Krantikari). Manjeet Singh was brought to the Patran Health Centre at approximately 7:30 pm. The attending doctor at the Health Centre suspected a massive heart attack, as Singh was unconscious upon arrival. Subsequently, the farmer was referred to Rajindra Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.