Farmers agitating against KIADB land acquisition detained

Ahna Prakash| NT

Bengaluru

 While the city residents were busy celebrating the 75th Independence Day on Monday, the police detained 72 farmers, who have been protesting for many months to save their land from being acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), from their protest site in Devanahalli.

Farmers have been demanding the State government to withdraw the notification for acquiring 1,777 acres of land spread in 13 villages for an industrial project. Their protest is now over 140 days old.

 On Monday, farmers who were sleeping in the tents at the protest site were picked up by the police at 4 in the morning.

 Farmers allege that they were taken into custody without stating any reason. When News Trail contacted the Devanahalli police station, they stated that the protesting farmers were detained for violating the High Court order of not protesting outside Freedom Park in the city.

 “We have detained the farmers due to the High Court order. Protests can only be held at Freedom Park. The orders came from above. We were told to detain all the people violating the court order.

The farmers will be released at 6 pm today,” an inspector of Devanahalli police station told News Trail.

Many farmers have also alleged that the police assaulted them. “Early morning the police officers arrested those who were sleeping at the protest site.

From Rajanukunte Police Station, they are now being taken to Doddaballapur Police Station. Our farmer leader Maregowda was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Devanahalli.

The Devanahalli police literally dragged him away. We had no intention of displaying black clothes, and we only wanted to show our resistance,” said Ramesh, a young farmer of Cheemachanahalli village.

 Another protestor, Harshan Gowda, said, “This is the state’s move to suppress the voices of farmers who were discontent with the government’s action on Independence Day.”