Acid attack threat to Noida team by squatters

NOIDA: Opposition to an anti-encroachment drive in Salarpur village came dangerously close to violence after some locals allegedly threatened to throw acid on a team of Noida Authority officials while others protested on Wednesday.
Officials from the Noida Authority, who were accompanied by the police and a bulldozer, suspended the drive to remove illegal construction and retreated after around four hours when some villagers also threatened to pour acid on themselves. No one was injured.
A complaint was subsequently filed by lekhpal Vinay Kumar and Noida Authority junior engineer Sundar Lal against three residents - two women and a man - for allegedly obstructing government work and for illegal encroachments under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
An FIR is yet to be filed. Deputy commissioner of police (central) Harish Chandar told TOI: "We are investigating the case. There were claims that villagers had threatened to pour acid on themselves."
According to the complaint, the Noida team comprising officials of work circle 7, the land records department and cops reached the village with a bulldozer on Wednesday morning. Soon after, villagers gathered in large numbers and asked officials to stop the drive.
An elderly woman and a man identified as Deepak Bhati climbed a boundary wall that was to be demolished as it was built on 50,000sqm land that had been earmarked for development work by the Noida Authority, officials said in the complaint.
Carrying a bucket, they allegedly told the team that they will throw acid on the officials if the anti-encroachment drive wasn't called off. They also allegedly misbehaved with the work circle officer and the tehsildar
"There was a demonstration by the people against the action on the spot, which was stopped by the police force, but some women and men misbehaved with the authority team and obstructed government work... An attempt was made by Deepak Bhati to throw a bucket full of acid at the Authority's team," according to the police complaint. "Efforts were made several times to remove the encroachment. Notices were also issued to the encroachers, but illegal construction was done stealthily during the night," the complaint adds.
Officials said the team left the area, though most of the wall had been brought down by then, after some villagers later threatened to pour acid on themselves.