Supreme Court judge, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, on November 21 said it was necessary to hear the farmer before painting him a “villain” who deliberately set his paddy fields ablaze to add his share to the toxic fumes hunkering over the national capital.
“You are all making him [the farmer] a villain. He is not a villain. He must be having reasons for what he is doing. He is the only person who can tell us why he is doing it. But he is not here… The ‘villain’ is not being heard. He should come,” Justice Dhulia said.
The judge’s remarks were in response to submissions by amicus curiae, senior advocate Aparajita Singh, in court, that 748 fires were lit across stubbled paddy fields in Punjab on Sunday alone.
