3 hurt as police open fire on workers in Chandrapur

Nagpur, Nov 1 (UNI) Three persons were injured, one of them seriously, when police opened fire to control unruly workers protesting the death of a colleague at a factory in Chandrapur district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra today.

According to the police, the contract workers ransacked the office of a company official and resorted to stone pelting, damaging furniture and equipment, when one of them, identified as Mohammed Janabhed Alam (30) from Purnia in Bihar, died after falling from a tower at the factory in Naranda about 60 kilometres from Chandrapur, this morning. The workers were demanding immediate compensation to the family of Alam.

The police initially resorted to a lathicharge before opening fire on them to bring the situation under control. The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Chandrapur. Five policemen, including a police sub-inspector (PSI) and an assistant police sub-inspector (ASI) were also injured in the violence, and have also been admitted to a hospital.

The police have beefed up security at the factory premises as a precautionary measure, and described the situation as tense but under control.

UNI