The Patanjali Food and Herbal Park factory of yoga guru Baba Ramdev here turned into a veritable battleground on Thursday morning when hundreds of villagers and relatives of a contractual worker who died in an accident at the factory on Wednesday evening went on a rampaging spree.
They reached the factory premises around 6 am and started pelting stones on the factory gate and on those working there. Police fired some shots in the air to disperse the mob. They charged baton too. The cops allegedly got inside many of the houses in the villages while chasing the rampaging villagers. Police said the villagers had looted a truck laden with cartoons of juice and taken them to their homes.
The Bank ATM machine outside the factory and some vehicles were vandalised too. Five persons, including two policemen, were injured in the clash. First information report (FIR) was lodged against the miscreants by the Patanjali management at Pathri police station. Around ten people were arrested by the police.
While district administration says that some miscreants created ruckus and looted a truck, entering the factory despite the management of the Patanjali group having agreed to provide compensation to the family members of the deceased. However, things are still murky as to how the violence started. It was learnt that the management had given Rs five lakh as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and also agreed to give job to two of the family members.
The 21-year-old Monu, a contract worker, resident of Nandpur village of Raysi area of laksar under Pathri police station, had died after his hand was entangled in a machine in the factory on Wednesday evening. Due to excessive bleeding, he fell unconscious. While being taken to a private hospital, he died.
Speaking to The Pioneer, SDM Pratyush Singh said, “After the worker died the relatives demanded compensation. It was settled at a meeting with the management. But some miscreants blocked the road. However, police brought things under control soon.”
SP rural Parminder Dobhal denied that police had chased the villagers to their houses while charging lathis. He said, “After the settlement of the compensation, some miscreants blocked the road and indulged in stone- pelting. To control things, we mobilized a larger police force. Five persons, including two policemen, were injured in stone -pelting.”
The factory remained closed till 12 noon. It partly opened later in the day. However, due to shortage in manpower, work was affected. As things did not improve almost all the production units were closed barring the administration block.
An employee of the Patanjali Ayurved ltd working at Padartha, requesting for anonymity, said, “When we started for our factory from home in Kankhal we were stopped midway at Pherupur village, a few kms ahead of Padartha. Our colleagues told us that some villagers had turned violent and some of the factory workers who were returning from the night shift had also joined them. All company busses stopped. We came back too.”