Lucknow, May 8: The highway land protest in Noida spread to more pockets today as a hunt began for the agitation’s spearhead and the farmers injured in yesterday’s violence avoided government hospitals fearing arrest.

One of the wounded farmers died this morning as he chose to stay home untreated. That raised the death toll to four, a figure that included two cops. But the collector who took a bullet in his leg during yesterday’s skirmishes was operated on today and is stable now.

A reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for information leading to the arrest of Manvir Singh Tewatiya, the agitation’s leader and a farmer.

The Opposition accused the Mayavati government of using “brutal force” to favour the developer of the Yamuna Expressway — a four-lane highway connecting Delhi with Agra that has become a showpiece project for the chief minister.

Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal, which has a strong following among the mainly Jat farmers, rallied behind the protesters, who have been demanding higher land compensation. Ajit, a Jat himself, was arrested on his way to Noida’s clash-scarred Bhatta Parsaul but was let off soon. Polls are due in the state next year and the farmers’ anger has left the ruling BSP worried.

Today, clashes erupted at an Agra village where farmers had given up land over a year ago but are now resisting the demolition of a temple on the acquired plot, claiming the developer had promised to preserve the shrine.

Farmers also hit the roads in Tappa, the Aligarh village where protests against the project first broke out in August last year, leading to the death of two protesters and a policeman during several days of clashes.

In Agra, the farmers ransacked a project camp office in Etmadpur’s Chognana-Garhi village, about 30km from Agra town, the police said. They set fire to three vehicles, dumpers, generators and rollers of JP Infratech, which is building the expressway, and stoned the police when they arrived.

Sources said the Agra farmers had been demonstrating for the past three days demanding that the temple not be demolished, and that yesterday’s Noida protests had fuelled their anger at the project.

“The clashes with the farmers continued for over half an hour this morning,” said Agra senior superintendent of police Aseem Arun. Circle officer Mahendra Kumar said four policemen and two villagers were injured.

In Tappa, work on the project was disrupted and large portions of a stretch waiting to be metalled were dug up. “We will die but we will not allow this work to continue,” one of the farmers shouted at the police.

Chief minister Mayavati reviewed the situation with senior officials. Gatherings have been prohibited in Noida’s Bhatta Parsaul, the village having become a virtual fortress.

“We have asked all superintendents of police to be on alert so that fresh protests can be handled,” said special director-general of police Brij Lal, who had led a team to Bhatta Parsaul this morning to hunt for the protest leaders.

During the raid, Lal found out that at least 40 injured villagers had decided not to go to the nearby government fearing the police would take them into custody. They were taken to Kailash Hospital in Noida and admitted to the ICU, a doctor at the hospital said. District magistrate Deepak Aggarwal has been admitted to the same hospital.