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Bhatta-Parsaul farmers still await case withdrawal
Even more than one- and-a-half months after the Uttar Pradesh government announced withdrawal of criminal cases against farmers of Bhatta-Parsaul in Greater Noida, several accused are still languishing in jail as no written orders have been received in Noida.
Even more than one- and-a-half months after the Uttar Pradesh government announced withdrawal of criminal cases against farmers of Bhatta-Parsaul in Greater Noida, several accused are still languishing in jail as no written orders have been received in Noida.
Nutan Tevatia, wife of arrested farmer leader Manvir Tevatia, told Hindustan Times on Monday, "My husband has been in jail since July 9 last year. I went twice to
Lucknow but could not meet chief minister Akhilesh Yadav."
At the Allahabad high court, the next date of hearing in his bail application is July 7. At the district court the hearing date is June 29. "Until arrested farmers are released and reach home, uncertainty will prevail," she said.
"We have not yet received any order for withdrawal of Bhatta cases. Presently nine farmers including Tevatia are in jail," police officer Ashwani Kumar said.
The Uttar Pradesh government recently said a process had been initiated to withdraw criminal charges leveled against farmers at Bhatta-Parsaul. State urban development minister Azam Khan said the matter was under consideration at the government level.
Two farmers and two policemen were killed at Bhatta-Parsaul about a year ago when clashes broke out over land acquisition by the Yamuna Expressway authority.
The Allahabad high court in March said the state criminal investigation department (CID) would look into the violence. The court also said it would monitor the investigation. On court orders, two FIRs have already been lodged against policemen for alleged rapes and violence at Bhatta-Parsaul on May 7, 2011.
