Environmental activist Medha Patkar was apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh cops on Saturday while protesting along with local farmers against the land acquisition in Karchhana area of Allahabad. Along with activist Medha Patkar, ten other protestors who accompanied her were arrested by cops. A senior police officer claimed that an FIR has been filed against activist Medha Patkar and other ten protestors who accompanied for carrying on agitation without any prior permission to visit the protest site.

FIR Filed Against Medha Patkar, Says Uttar Pradesh Cops

Cops detailed Medha Patkar initially at the guest house at Allahabad university while she was arrested as she began to move towards the rally venue and staged a sit-in. Ashutosh Mishra, Additional Superintendent of Police (trans-Yamuna) said, “a case was registered under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code against Medha Patkar. As long as normal life is not disrupted, everybody is free to air their grievances.”

Medha Patkar is arrested for under CrPC section 151 arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offenses) when she reached Karchhana area of Allahabad to participate in a farmers’ protest. It is being reported that during the arrest of Medha Patkar and other protestors clashes took place between farmers and the police. Patkar was stopped from proceeding in the wake of the model code of conduct being in place in view of the upcoming Panchayat elections next month.

Acquisition of 512 Hectares of Land from 2,000 Farmers for Power Plant Causes Protest

The cause of protest of by farmers and activists is ascertained to be due to loss of land by farmers as the state government has acquired by the government for a proposed thermal power plant. Official reports claim that about 512.592 hectares of land had been acquired from nearly 2,000 farmers from various villages of Bhitar Kachra, Kachari, Devarikalan, Gadwakalan, Mendra, Dholipur and Dehli Bhagesar of Karchana Tehsil in the region.

Although many farmers who had to give away their land for the construction of Karchhana power plant most of them accepted compensation in lieu of the lands while some of the farmers have refused to part with their lands. Though most of the farmers have taken compensation in lieu of the lands, a few landholders have refused to accept the compensation. Stay tuned with us for more updates and trending alerts happening across the globe by bookmarking (press Ctrl+D) us in your web browser for  easy navigation to land on to our web page again.