Muzaffarnagar, December 12: A farmer participating in a protest to demand a cut on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway died at Bhaju village, under the Babri Police Station area in Shamli district, officials said on Thursday. According to Sub-Divisional Magistrate Hamid Husain, 45-year-old Dhirender died during the agitation on Wednesday, though the cause of his death is yet to be determined. Delhi Chalo March: Farmer Leader Sarwan Singh Pandher Urges PM Narendra Modi To Take Cognisance of Farmers’ Protests During Haryana Visit Today (Watch Video).

Farmers in the region have been staging a dharna for the past three months, demanding a cut on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway at Bhaju village to ease the transportation of crops. Villagers said they faced significant difficulties due to the lack of this cut. Delhi Chalo March: Supreme Court Dismisses Plea To Clear Road Blockade Caused by Farmers’ Protest.

On Wednesday, protesting farmers placed the body of the deceased at the protest site and demanded relief for his family. Later senior police and administrative officials arrived at the location to calm the situation and offered assurances to the agitating farmers. The body of the deceased has been sent for a post-mortem and an investigation is underway, Husain said.