The Bathinda district police have registered five cases against over 2,000 unidentified farmers over the Friday clash.
The FIRs have been lodged at three police stations — Sadar Rampura, Cantonment and Sadar Bathinda.
The protesters, who clashed on with the police a day ago, belonged to the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan).
The cases have been lodged for allegedly taking a DSP and others hostage, breaking police barricades, disturbing law and order and blocking the national highway, leading to traffic jams at various locations.
Bathinda SP (City) Narinder Singh confirmed the registration of cases but said no arrest had been made so far.
Meanwhile, farmers condemned the state government, saying the move could further escalate the situation.
The protesting farmers also called of their stir after the police released all detained people, including women, at various locations in Bathinda, Barnala, Moga and Sangrur late on Friday night.
Three-day ultimatum to cops
However, the union issued a three-day ultimatum to the police, seeking the release of two of its activists who were arrested last year in an attempt to murder case, for whose release the protest had been organised.
The protest on Friday led to the blockage of the Bathinda-Chandigarh national highway at several locations as protesters attempted to reach the district administrative complex in Bathinda to begin an indefinite protest.
As a preventive measure, the police blocked the highway at some locations using trucks and barricades, and also resorted to lobbing teargas shells to disperse the protesters near Rampura Phul.
Farmers also allegedly made a DSP and a duty magistrate sit on the road with them for a brief period. At the Jethuke village protest point, they allegedly chased police personnel, carrying sticks used as flagpoles.
Talking to The Tribune on Saturday, Jhanda Singh Jethuke, state vice-president of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), said all detained farmers had been released, prompting the union to withdraw its protest late on Friday night.
“We do not have the exact count, but nearly 400 farmers were detained across various districts. The police have now registered cases against unidentified protesters, but we won’t bow before these pressure tactics. It may escalate the situation. The state government’s attitude is not positive,” he said.
Jethuke added that the union had given a three-day ultimatum for the release of its activists, Baldev Singh Chauke and Shagandeep Singh Jeond, who were arrested in an attempt to murder case last year.
“If the authorities want to resolve the issue, they should hold an inquiry within the next three days and remove the attempt to murder charge, which is not legally sustainable. Meanwhile, the union will chalk out a fresh strategy in a meeting of its state committee,” he said.
He also alleged that the police deflated the tyres of some vehicles belonging to farmers in Moga district.
Baldev and Shagandeep have been lodged in the Bathinda jail since April 5 last year. They were arrested following a protest at Jeond village on January 20 last year, which turned violent during land demarcation and consolidation proceedings being carried out as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
During the incident, a DSP and other police personnel were injured after a mob allegedly held a Revenue Department team hostage. The matter is listed for hearing in the High Court on February 18 as the two activists have again applied for regular bail. Their earlier bail pleas were dismissed by the courts