By IANS
New Delhi : At least 15 people sustained injuries Thursday as police allegedly resorted to baton charge to disperse protesting factory workers who had blocked vehicular traffic in Mayapuri area of west Delhi.
The workers, protesting shifting of their garment factory Chelsea to Manesar in Haryana since the beginning of this month, went berserk and destroyed windowpanes of other factories and cars in the area. The group of about 70-80 workers also blocked the traffic for at least 30 minutes.
Police said the employer had asked the workers to report at the Manesar factory following which some of them had joined duty but most did not. The matter reached a civil court, which allowed protesting workers to hold peaceful protests keeping a distance of 50 metres from the factory.
Police said violence erupted only after the workers damaged more than 20 vehicles in stone throwing. They even tried to set some of them on fire.
“We only used teargas to disperse the crowd and the situation is normal now,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest district) Shalini Singh, denying the use of baton.
She said the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital and discharged after first aid.
“We have arrested 27 people including three women on the charges of rioting and further investigations are underway,” Singh added.