The Hindu : Front Page : Police open fire in air to control agitating farmers near Bellary

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Monday, Feb 16, 2009
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Police open fire in air to control agitating farmers near Bellary

Staff Correspondent

Clash: Police taking agitating farmers into custody near Bellary city on Sunday.

BELLARY: The police on Sunday resorted to lathi-charge and opened fire in the air to quell a mob, mostly farmers from Chaganur village, who were throwing stones at them during a “rasta roko” staged in protest against the acquisition of fertile land for construction of the Bellary airport near Sangakal-Siriwar.

The farmers had blocked National Highway 63 as a mark of protest.

Superintendent of Police Seemant Kumar Singh told The Hindu that the farmers had been asked to wind up their agitation after 30 minutes as it was causing a traffic jam.

During an interaction between the farmers and Bellary Tahsildar Bheema Nayak and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Bellary Rural) G. Sangeeta, one of the farmers allegedly entered into an altercation with Ms. Sangeeta and assaulted her. When other police officers came forward to take the person away, the mob started throwing stones at them, forcing them to resort to lathi-charge, Mr. Singh said.

When the police were about to lob teargas shells, the mob snatched a gun from one of the personnel and broke it. To prevent the situation from going out of control, the police opened seven rounds of fire in the air and also shot some rubber pellets at the mob, Mr. Singh said.

Two police sub-inspectors and an assistant sub-inspector were severely injured in the clash, while other police personnel sustained minor injuries in the stone-throwing.

A jeep was also damaged as a result, Mr. Singh said.

Around 1,000 acres of land was proposed to be acquired in Siriwar and Chagnur villages, which are located around 20 km from Bellary city, for the construction of the airport.

Farmers from both villages have objected to the proposal stating that the lands identified were fertile and irrigated, and that they would be deprived of their livelihood.

Despite the opposition, a team of officials conducted a survey of the proposed lands.

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