Noida: Delay in releasing jailed leaders spark outrage among farmer groups

Over the past three days, 20 individuals were released from jail. Currently, 129 farmers remain lodged in Luksar jail, said jail superintendent of police Brajesh Kumar

The ongoing farmer agitation in Gautam Budh Nagar intensified on Wednesday as 129 farmers, arrested last week for holding protests in Noida and Greater Noida, continued to remain in jail despite release orders being issued by city police commissioner Laxmi Singh on Tuesday.

Congress workers hold a protest in support of jailed farmers in Noida on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

This delay has sparked widespread outrage among protesting farmers, who are demanding the unconditional release of their jailed leaders.

Farmer groups have raised concerns about the ambiguity surrounding the release process with some leaders claiming that no contact has been made with those reportedly released, casting doubts over whether they have indeed been freed.

Women in Noida’s Bahlolpur area organised a candlelight march on Tuesday and Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of farmers, including prominent leader Soran Pradhan.

In a meeting held at Delta-2 Sector in Greater Noida on Wednesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) decided to send a delegation to meet the jailed farmers but were denied access to Luksar jail in Greater Noida.

“We were not allowed to meet the farmer leaders lodged in Luksar Jail -- we were told that Congress party leaders were scheduled to visit on Wednesday. So we requested a meeting on Thursday, but that too was denied as the Samajwadi Party is scheduled to visit then. We are now planning to send a delegation after Thursday. Our goal is to resolve this matter peacefully while maintaining law and order,” said Pawan Khatana, Western UP in-charge (BKU-Tikait faction).

Despite claims by the Gautam Budh Nagar police that 27 farmers were released from jail on Monday and another 20 on Tuesday, jail authorities have stated that only 20 farmers have been released in the past three days based on orders received from city police chief Laxmi Singh.

“Over the past three days, 20 individuals were released from jail. Arrests are made based on warrants, and releases are carried out strictly as per the orders received. So far, orders for only 20 farmers have been issued. Currently, 129 farmers remain lodged in Luksar jail,” said Brajesh Kumar, superintendent of police, Luksar jail.

On December 2, around 5,000 farmers from Gautam Budh Nagar and other parts of western Uttar Pradesh marched towards Delhi after an eight-day sit-in at the Delhi-Noida border. Their protest targeted the land acquisition practices of the Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway authorities, which were carried out to develop residential and commercial projects.

On Wednesday, 77 agitating farmers were allegedly arrested while holding a sit-in at the Zero-Point in Greater Noida and 124 were arrested from Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida a day prior to that. On Friday, 45 farmers were arrested from Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk and lodged in Luksar jail, HT had reported.