Policemen, residents hurt in scuffle during agitation

Eleven policemen and 10 residents have been injured in a scuffle that broke out on Monday during the public agitation against the digging of a pond as part of the development work at the proposed rubber park by the Rubber Marketing Federation near Perumbavoor.

According to the Aluva Police, local residents had opposed the digging of the pond stating that it would dry up the wells in the nearby areas.

Dharna staged

The police said that the agitators were staging a dharna in front of the manufacturing unit against the project. A few protesters entered the company premises and tried to fill up the excavated land. Efforts by policemen to remove the agitators led to a minor scuffle. Nine policemen were admitted to the taluk hospital at Aluva.

Two officials were shifted to the Ernakulam General Hospital later. Three residents were also injured in the incident.

The police said that the situation was brought under control after the agitators were asked to leave the area.