A vehicle of crusher plant was sent ablaze on Sunday. (ANI photo)

KANPUR: Agitated over the arrest of their fellow farmers, scores of villagers of Gangaghat area in Shuklaganj in Unnao who had fought a six-hour-long pitched battle with the police on Saturday, allegedly set afire an under-construction powerhouse. They also torched a cement mixer truck.

The powerhouse is being constructed by UPSIDC and it is situated close to the site where farmers had protested a day before.

Flames and thick smoke engulfed the area. Police and firemen rushed to the spot to control the situation. Efforts were being made to douse the inferno.

Unnao police on Saturday had registered two FIRs against the farmers who had pelted stones, ransacked vehicles and damaged public property.

The first FIR was lodged on the complaint of UPSIDC against eight people who had been identified and 200 others whose identity is yet to be ascertained and the second FIR was registered wherein police is itself a complainant. The second FIR was registered against 30 farmers and villagers who have been identified and 200 others whose identity is not known.

Unnao SP MP Verma confirmed the incident and the lodging of the FIRs in this case and added that five policemen including Additional SP and CO City had received injuries after farmers went berserk. He said five people have been arrested so far and further investigation is under way.

Over a dozen farmers had also sustained injuries when police lathicharged and used tear shell gas and water cannons to disperse them.

The farmers are demanding for higher compensation for their lands which had been acquired by UPSIDC for construction of Trans Ganga city.

