Protest at Patanjali Food Park, over 2 dozen injured

Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Jan 28: Over two dozen people were injured today when police resorted to lathicharge and fired in the air to disperse an angry mob which was protesting against the management of Patanjali Food Park in connection with the death of an employee on duty.

The incident took place in Padartha area, about 19 kms from here, with the protestors alleging that no compensation had been announced for the next of kin of the employee of the company who died on duty at one of its units.

Eight people have been detained and are being interrogated, SP (rural) Pramendra Dobhal said. He said police took recourse to lathicharge and firing in the air to disperse the irate mob of villagers who hurled stones at police personnel, leaving some of them injured.

Over two dozen people were injured in the incident, police said. The SP said the situation has been brought under control but tension prevailed in Padartha and adjoining villages.

Tension erupted in the area this morning when a mixed crowd of villagers and Patanjali Food Park employees began staging a demonstration at the firm in protest against its management for not announcing compensation to the next of kin of a 24-year-old worker named Monu who died on duty in an accident at its Masala unit here last night.

When CISF personnel in the security of the park tried to stop the villagers, altercation broke out between them and local police stepped in. A lathicharge was ordered and ten rounds were fired in the air when villagers refused to calm down and began pelting stones at the police personnel, Dobhal said.

Senior police officials also had to rush to the spot to oversee efforts to bring the situation under control.

PTI