A number of India Against Corruption (IAC) activists sustained injuries when the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse them while they were staging a protest over the Robert Vadra-DLF land deal issue near the official residence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Pandit Pant Marg here on Sunday. The police later registered a case of rioting and detained over two dozen protesters, including four women, who were later let off.
The protesters, many of who were from Haryana, gathered near Gol Dak Khana and were marching towards Mr. Hooda’s residence when they were intercepted by the police. Barricades were put up close to Mr. Hooda’s bungalow, apprehending protests by IAC activists.
Shouting slogans against Mr. Hooda, the protesters marched ahead toppling the first barricade, which led to a scuffle. The police initially used water cannon to disperse the crowd.
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When the protesters refused to budge, the police resorted to cane charge and severalactivists were injured. While some of them were taken to hospital in police vehicles, others reassembled and organised a sit-in. This went on for a couple of hours, after which the police forcibly bundled the protesters into vehicles and took them away.
“In all, 25 people were detained and then later released. Four policemen and six protesters were injured. We have registered a case against the rioters,” said a police officer. IAC claimed that over a dozen protesters, including farmers from Haryana, sustained injuries in the police action and were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.