Farmers stir turns violent, top official shot

Saturday May 07, 2011 08:07:21 PM, IANS

Greater Noida: An operation to rescue three government staffers held hostage here by farmers demanding better compensation for their land turned horribly wrong Saturday when the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate was injured in a cross-firing between police and the protesters.

According to the police, farmers at Bhatta Parsaul village near here Friday took hostage three employees of UP Roadways -- supervisor Niranjan Dass, station in-charge Durgesh Bhardwaj and driver Jitendra.

The farmers were demanding higher compensation for the land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government.

On Saturday, a police team reached the village to rescue the employees, but the farmers did not relent.

"The farmers tortured the crew severely. It was the duty of the police to release them, but when the police and administration officials reached the village, the farmers opened fire," Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vishal Singh said.

Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Deepak Aggrawal sustained a bullet injury and has been admitted to a hospital in Greater Noida, he added.

"The farmers fired with their illegally-acquired weapons," Singh said.

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Picture of the Day

Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari attended the inaugural ceremony of Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary, at Dhaka, Bangladesh on May 06, 2011. Prime Minister of Bangladesh Mrs. Sheikh Hasina, Minister of State for Information and Cultural affairs of Bangladesh Promod Mankin and Secretary of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh Begum Suraya are also seen.

(Photo: Debatosh Sengupta)