Abadi land issue: Farmers break Noida authority lock, clash with cops

The protesting farmers were demanding additional compensation for their land the authority acquired for development about a decade ago

Agitating farmers on Monday clashed with the police force after allegedly breaking the lock of a gate on the Noida authority’s main administrative office premises.

The police lathicharged the farmers to disperse them while they were trying to enter the authority’s main office. During the clash, many farmers, and police constables and officers sustained minor injuries. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The protesting farmers were demanding additional compensation for their land the authority acquired for development about a decade ago.

The police lathi-charged the farmers to disperse them while they were trying to enter the authority’s main office. During the clash, many farmers, and police constables, and officers sustained minor injuries.

The Noida authority and the police filed FIRs against 25 farmer leaders and at least 1,000 unnamed protesters under Indian Penal Code sections 147, 148, 332, 324 and 353, said police.

“We have been protesting for the last 41 days demanding more compensation, residential plots, settlement of abadi issues other benefits. But the Noida authority is trying to cheat us instead of addressing our demands. When we tried entering the authority office to strongly put forth our demands, the police started beating us and injured many. We will intensify our protest further,” said Sukhbir Yadav, a leader of Kisan Ekta Parishad, a farmer union.

The farmers reached the authority’s Sector 6 office around 2.30pm, breaking the lock of a gate in the process. They also pushed aside a police barricade and managed to get to the entrance of the reception at the office.

“When they broke the lock, we tried to calm them down, but they did not stop and pushed aside the barricade. They misbehaved with constables and also tore my uniform in the scuffle. We are taking strong action against those who broke the law,” said Ranvijay Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police, Gautam Budh Nagar, who led the police force at the protest site.

Noida authority chief executive officer Ritu Maheshwari said farmers were trying to cross legal boundaries.

“We have already accepted their justified demands. We cannot give in to their unjustified demands just because they want to disturb official work by force. We cannot accept their terms, which are against the law. The police will act in this matter as it pertains to the breaking of the law,” said Maheshwari.