Protesters hurl stones during demolition drive

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Palwal, July 27

Some cops were among several persons injured in a clash that took place at Ali Brahmana village of the district today.

A demolition squad had reached Durvasa temple to remove encroachments on the main path to the shrine. Hundreds of villagers assembled and tried to stop officials from carrying out the operation. The mob turned violent and resorted to pelting cops with stones after a word spread that an old woman whose house had been brought down has ‘died’ of shock.

At least half a dozen cops and an equal number of local residents received injuries in the clash that took in the form of stone-pelting and counter lathicharge by the police.

“Cops had to even open fire in the air to disperse the crowd,” said a local resident.

A JCB machine engaged for the work was also damaged in stone-pelting, it is learnt. More than 500 cops had been deployed at the site.

Denying any mass violence or serious injury to anyone, Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sharma, who was present at the spot, said only a few cops sustained minor injuries as villagers hurled stones. “We are trying to identify the person in the mob who had fired a shot in the air,” he added.

Claiming that encroachments had been removed on the directions of the court, Sharma said adequate time and notices had been given to the persons concerned, who had illegally occupied the main path (parikarma) of the temple in the village.

“The whole incident had been photographed and recorded on camera. A case will be registered after identification of the persons involved in stone-pelting,” he said, adding that encroachments had been successfully cleared after about two-and-half-hour operation.