TN: ICF workers release khalasis from CBI

Chennai, Sep 7: Workers and union leaders in the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) here forcefully released two khalasis (railway workers) from a CBI team which caught them red-handed for accepting bribe at the ICF premises in Perambur last evening.

Police sources said the CBI team had lodged a complaint with the ICF Police following the incident.

The union members in the ICF, owing allegiance to the ruling DMK and the CITU, surrounded the CBI team which was conducting a sting operation following a complaint the railway workers were demanding bribes for unloading goods.

''The drivers are usually forced to pay Rs 300 to unload cargo at the ICF. This particular driver of a private transport company had reached ICF three days back and the workers demanded money to unload the steel plates he had brought,'' a CBI official said.

The driver refused to give money and preferred a complaint with the CBI, which set up a trap and arrested Sethuraman and Baskaran for accepting a bribe of Rs 300 yesterday.

Before the CBI team could take them away, about 100 ICF workers and labour union leaders surrounded the CBI officials and threatened and abused them and got the arrested workers released.

A police team, led by a deputy commissioner, rushed to the ICF premises to rescue the CBI officials from the clutches of union activists.

Cases were registered against nine labour leaders for preventing government officials from discharging their duty.

UNI