Eight farmers injured in police action

Peasants protest turns violent in Chamarajnagar; Even women not spared in lathi charge

Hundreds of people including women bore the brunt of the police action that began without any prior warning. Even public who had come to the district headquarters for their personal work were not spared. The district president of Hasiru Sene, Mahesh Kumar, has been shifted to Mysore with serious head injuries.

Traffic blocked

Farmers had been staging dharna in front of the office of Tourism Department for the past five days urging government meet their various demands. Trouble began as the protesters parked tractors blocking traffic. Police removed the vehicles to facilitate movement of vehicles.

Meanwhile, a verbal due ensued between a protester and the police. The police assaulted the protester and took him to custody. Even as the irate farmers began raising slogans, the police started caning.

While Superintendent of Police T D Pawar parried a question on whether orders were issued for lathi charge, the Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar told Deccan Herald that Criminal Procedure Code empowers the police officers on the spot to resort to lathi charge if the situation goes out of hand.

Police have seized more than 33 tractors and arrested scores of people. The injured were treated at the district hospital.

Ruckus at ryots’ meeting

An ASI and a few farmers sustained injuries as the meeting on acquisition of land turned violent in Davangere on Friday, reports DHNS from Davangere.

The farmers of Doddabathi village in Davangere taluk were opposing acquisition of 180 acres of land by Davangere Urban Development Authority (DUDA) for formation of layouts.

A meeting between the protesting farmers and  DUDA was called under the mediation of the Deputy Commissioner.

The farmers, who arrived in a procession sought to drop the acquisition proposal.
The attempts made by the Deputy Commissioner to evolve a consensus went futile and soon a verbal duel ensued between DUDA chairman Yashwanth Rao Jadhav and the farmers.

Rao, who was prevented from leaving the venue came out with police help.
As he attempted to proceed in his car, angry farmers stoned the vehicle. Police resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. ASI Krishnamurthy and few farmers were injured in the incident.