MEERUT/BAREILLY/AGRA/PILIBHIT:

Traffic blockades, stone pelting and varying degrees of violence reflected the growing impatience among population in Uttar Pradesh as banks once again couldn't dispense cash on Wednesday.

In Meerut, hundreds of irate customers resorted to violence when a Syndicate Bank branch on Hapur Road announced that it was left with no cash to dispense. Sensing danger, bank staff locked themselves inside the premises as crowd went on rampage damaging vehicles and blocking traffic. They also burnt an effigy of PM Modi.

When police teams arrived on the spot, protesters indulged in stone pelting that left circle officer (Civil Lines) Arvind Kumar injured. Later, police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. In Agra too, police had to use lathis to scatter an angry crowd outside Oriental Bank of Commerce's Kagrol branch in Kheragarh block of the district on Wednesday afternoon.

In Doghat village of Baghpat district, the situation turned serious when bank officials had to run out of the branch building and take refuge in a local police station.

In Pilibhit, farmers protested against lack of cash in BoB branches by blocking the highway and burning effigy of the branch manager. They also staged a dharna outside the bank branch. Reports of uproarious scenes were received from other branches of the bank in the district too.

Meerut senior superintendent of police J Ravindra Goud said, "We are on alert for Thursday and have summoned our reserve forces as well. We have made elaborate plans to keep tempers in check. We, too, are hoping that cash arrives in banks by Thursday morning."