Tension prevailed in the Malpuri Khurd area of Durg district a day after agitating people went rampant burning some part of factory and vehicles in the JK laxmi Cement factory on Thursday.
Meanwhile Chief Minster Dr Raman Singh announced that an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) rank officer will investigate the matter. In addition to it the administration will also probe the matter at its own level, the Chief Minster said. He also said that there could be involvement of some miscreants in the incident as workers from Chhattisgarh do not react in this way he was talking with reports here on Friday.
Meanwhile police said that they have arrested about 36 agitators after the fire incident including their leader Virndra Kurrey Hundreds of local villagers set on fire a portion of under-construction plant of J K lakshmi Cement in Durg district on Thursday evening. The agitators were reportedly angry over by the company's reluctance to give jobs to project-affected persons, police said.
City Superintendent of Police (CSP), Chhavni Ravindra Upadhayay talking with The Pioneer over phone said that the indecent was pre planned and did not rule out the involvement of Naxal element.
“Some protesters and a about 5 policemen sustained minor injuries in the incident that took place last evening,” CSP said and added that the protestors had even sprinkled kerosene oil on 2 policemen.
The agitators after entering in the plant set ablaze a portion of factory apart and around three dozen vehicles at Malpuri-Khurd village last evening," Police claimed.
Police said that the villagers in the region were demanding permanent employment having surrendered their lands for the factory. The brawl broke out between some factory workers and demonstrating villagers after a security guard allegedly used abusive language against them, after which the agitated villagers indulged in stone-pelting and arson. Vehicles, including earth-moving vehicles of the construction company GDCl, were set on fire.
Police rushed to the spot and reportedly fired in the air to disperse the violent crowd after which they torched a police jeep and attacked policemen, police said. The mob was finally pacified with the intervention of senior police officials, he added.