New Delhi: Putting the Haryana Police in the dock, report of the postmortem conducted on the body of young Shubhakaran Singh, who was killed during clashes between protesting farmers and security forces at Khanauri border, revealed that he succumbed to "firearm injuries" he had sustained at back of his head on February 21.

"The cause of death in this case in our opinion is head injury as a result of firearm which is sufficient to cause death in ordinary course of nature," read the autopsy report prepared by a board of doctors at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.

"Metal" pellets have been found in his skull in the CT scan, which was carried out before the autopsy. Doctors found that round-shaped metallic objects penetrated the rear part of the skull — known as the occipital region.

However, no bullet was found lodged in his head.

The findings have cemented the farmers' assertion that he died of gunshot injuries during the police action. The Haryana Police aided by the Central reserve forces have restricted the peasants at the Punjab side at Punjab-Haryana Shambhu and Khaunauri borders. They want to march to the national capital as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' call — demanding, among others, legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) and withdrawal of police cases filed against them during earlier protest (2020-21).

A violent showdown took place between the farmers and the police force as the protesters resumed their march on February 21 after their talks with the Union government failed to bear fruits. The 22-year-old, Singh, a resident of Balloh village in Punjab's Bathinda district, too was part of the protest. Following his death, his fellow agitators had alleged that he died after bullets fired by the Haryana Police hit him.

A medico-legal report released by the hospitals last week stated metal shrapnel wounds were on upper bodies several protesting farmers who were injured in the police action.

Doctors have handed over the post-mortem report to the Punjab police. Now, forensic experts will examine what kind of gun was used to fire the bullets, which caused the small farmer's death.

The Mooknayak is in possession of the postmortem report, which has been prepared by a team of five doctors — Preetinder Singh, Mary Pal Kaur, Sanjeev Gupta, Paramjit Singh Kahlon and Harish Kumar.

The wound larger than 2 cm was on the back of his head in which several metal balls were found. “An isosceles triangle shaped lesion with its apex facing upwards, both obliques each measuring 2 cm in length and the base measuring 2.8 cm in size, on the left occiput (backmost area of ​​the skull) is present, located 9.2 cm above the posterior hairline and 8.1 cm from the left ear," they said in their report.

It further said, "...4 cm from left brow is light inflammation in the left side. On dissection, extracted alive is present with the underlying fracture of the hematoma frontal bone."

Denying the report with regard to the alleged use of pellet guns to disperse the protesters, the Haryana Police chief had earlier said his force followed the standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with such a situation and resorted to water cannons, baton charge, teargas shells and rubber bullets.

Shubhakaran was cremated on February 29 in his native village after the Punjab Police registered 'zero FIR' and agreed to the victim's family demands such as a compensation and government job to next the next kin of the deceased.

There has been no response from the Haryana Police yet in this matter.