Cluster officer ‘attacked’ while recording farm fire in Kang

To curb the practice, authorities imposed and collected challans totaling 8.25 lakhs, alongside registering 161 FIRs and Red Entries.

A cluster officer on Thursday was allegedly brutally attacked and left unconscious while overseeing paddy stubble-burning management and videographing farm fires in Tarn Taran’s Kang village, officials said. Sub Divisional Officer Khadoor Sahib Sanjeev Sharma confirmed the incident.

The victim has been identified as Maninder Singh, a cluster officer working under the Soil Conservation and Water Department. Singh was assigned to oversee anti-stubble-burning operations across multiple villages in the area, including Kang, Hothian, Hansawala, Khakh, and Goindwal Sahib.

Officials said Singh visited Kang to oversee farm fires and document violations.

During his field inspection, he came across and recorded five fire farms for videographic evidence. This documentation is mandatory for reporting compliance to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR).

During the recording, Singh was confronted by a man who reportedly possesses criminal antecedents. Although no weapons were used, the attacker — described as a tall and stout individual — physically assaulted Singh, subjecting him to severe blows.

The officer said, “He (the attacker) was about to kill him (Singh)… He went into such a deep state of shock… he collapsed unconscious in the fields.” Singh’s turban also came off during the violent confrontation, the officer said.

Upon receiving the information, locals and the village sarpanch reached the site

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When Singh was rushed to the Guru Nanak Hospital, the doctors said he was unconscious with his eyes fixed and unresponsive. He was subsequently shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

SDM Sharma said no FIR has been formally registered yet. Police said they were thoroughly verifying the suspect’s identity and details before filing charges.

While the CAQM Act explicitly states its provisions do not apply to farmers, the accused for attacking the official will be subjected to the sections for physical assault and obstruction of public duty, and severe injuries inflicted on the officer will attract rigorous criminal prosecution, an official said.

Based on the data provided on stubble-burning enforcement in Tarn Taran up to October 28, 2026, 318 cases were reported by October 27, 2026. Following ground-truthing inspections, 157 of those cases were found to have no actual burning, while fires were confirmed in 161 instances.

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To curb the practice, authorities imposed and collected challans totaling 8.25 lakhs, alongside registering 161 FIRs and Red Entries.

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Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar... Read More