Noida: Police junk reports of farmers’ hunger strike in Luksar Jail

Noida: The Noida police on Sunday dismissed media reports claiming that the arrested farmers were conducting a “hunger strike” inside the Luksar jail in Kasna, as it sought to clarify that the farmers are taking food on time in the jail and normal situation prevails inside.

Rajiv Kumar Singh, jailer, Luksar jail, in a statement said, “There are multiple reports going on in social and print media that imprisoned farmers are carrying out a strike inside the jail. The reports are completely baseless. There are 136 farmers inside the jail. They all are given breakfast, lunch, and dinner on time. The situation inside the jail is normal.”

Police also stated that the farmers, arrested from Zero-Point, and Parichowk in Greater Noida over the last four days, are medically fit.

Police registered a case under Section 170 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) at the Ecotech 1 police station, and they have been put behind bars since Wednesday night, officers said.

The Noida police have also registered two cases against farmers and their leaders at the Beta 2 and Sector 63 police stations for disturbing law and order and creating chaos.

In the first case, registered at the Sector 63 police station, farmers leader Atul Kumar Yadav, a resident of Sector 63, was booked on charges of Section 192 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 351(1) (b) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for circulating a video in which he urged farmers to join the protest and give their arresting to police.

In the second case, registered at the Beta 2 police station, against four identified and 41 unidentified people for rioting, obstructing public servants from duty, causing hurt, and obstruction in public way.

Sub-inspector Ankit Yadav filed a complaint alleging that the protestors gathered at NRI Chowk near Parichowk and tried to disturb the law and order situation. “When the police team tried to stop them, they misbehaved, and two police personnel, including a sub-inspector and a constable, sustained injuries,” reads the FIR.

On November 25, farmers’ protest was launched under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS), and other farmer groups demanding enhanced compensation for their acquired land, residential land for use of their families, and better welfare measures.

Following the arrest and in view of the farmers’ demands in the Gautam Budh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar, during a meeting with senior officials on Saturday directed them to resolve their issues on priority.