SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, January 25: More than a dozen people were injured in a clash between Marxists Coordination Committee (MCC) workers and Central Industrial Security Force ( CISF) at DVC Maithon headquarters, around 48 km away from here, in the morning today.
Most injured MCC workers were admitted at BO Neyogi Hospital, Maithon. Several bikes were also damaged in the clash.
Ex-MLA Arup Chatterjee leads protests
The clash occurred around 9.30 am when MCC activists under former Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee began gherao of the DVC Maithon administrative building.
Getting information, Maithon police station officer-in-charge Rajnish Kumar and Gyarahkund block development officer (BDO) Binod Kumar Karmkar also reached the spot and controlled the situation.
The officer in charge, Kumar, said that only after completing the probe would he be able to determine whether the lathi charge was resorted.
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Arup Chatterjee alleged that the CISF lathi charged peaceful demonstrators in which over a dozen of his workers and shop owners were injured.
Agitators turned violent: CISF DIG
However, CISF DIG Vijay Kajla told media persons that the agitators who were gheraoing the DVC administrative building all of a sudden became violent and began brick batting on security personnel. “CISF had to resort to mild force to disperse them,” he said.
Protests against DVC eviction notice
In protest against the eviction notice to Maithon Dam-based shop owners, the MCC under Arup Chatterjee, as per the announced programme, began gherao of the DVC Maithon administrative building at 9 am today.
The agitators blocked all entrances to the administrative building, denying entry to staff and officials. CISF officials alleged that they were talking with leaders while agitators began raining stones on them all of a sudden.
Former MLA Arup Chatterjee alleged that the CISF resorted to unprovoked lathi charges on people protesting peacefully. “We were trying to negotiate with DVC officials over eviction notice to Maithon Dam-based shopkeepers. But they did not call us to talk. Today, we reached there for peaceful demonstration when CISF lathi charged,” said Chatterjee.
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