UP Police : Farmers clash with cops, abduct two UP officials

GREATER Noida: The Greater Noida police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells at farmers who clashed with a police party near Mirzapur village in the Rabupura police station area. Farmers had blocked a road in pursuance of their demand of higher compensation for the acquisition of their lands.

The farmers retaliated by burning down two dumpers and a truck and abducting two Uttar Pradesh government officials, one of them a deputy director of agriculture and the other a deputy director of handicap welfare. The police arrested 12 of the farmers.

Most of the farmers involved were from the villages Bhatta and Parsol in the Dankor police station area, who had clashed with a unit of the Provincial Armed Constabulary on February 21, resulting in firing by the PAC which left several farmers injured. The PAC unit had then used force to rescue a colleague and recover a light machine gun from the agitating farmers, without the knowledge or sanction of any officer of either the PAC or the police. A report was later filed against hundreds of unidentified farmers. But it was never quite explained as to how the PAC unit happened to be at Bhatta village, or why the personnel fired scores of rounds without officers in command.

On Saturday afternoon, said the Greater Noida superintendent of police, Rakesh Kumar Jolly, "The kisans had blocked a road near Mirzapur village, when a police team headed by me was patrolling the area. Suddenly, they attacked us. We retaliated by firing rubber bullets and teargas. The situation calmed down after a while."

But later, said a police officer, the farmers at Mirzapur contacted others at Bhatta and Parsol villages. "Soon, hundreds of farmers rushed to Mirzapur. They set afire two dumpers and a truck that were passing by. Then, they also abducted two officials of the state government who happened to be passing by. The police then arrested 12 farmers, and a large force of the police and the PAC was deployed to prevent further flare-ups."

The farmers of Bhatta and Parsol have been agitating for several weeks against the acquisition of some of their land. They claim that they are being offered Rs 711 per square metre for their land, while the government is selling it for Rs 6,200 per acre. They are also demanding a compensation of at least 80% of the sale price.
courtesy - toi