Karwar, Jul 31 (DHNS): Three police personnel sustained injuries when police resorted to lathicharge as a protest against thermal power plant turned violent in Hanakona village of the taluk on Thursday. Three buses have been damaged in the incident.
More than 500 people took to streets demanding removal of the shed and materials stocked for construction of a thermal power plant by Ind Bharat Power Company.
As the authorities concerned delayed to arrive at the spot, the protesters resorted to rasta roko. Efforts of the DySP Babu Kolekar to pacify the irate protesters went in vain.
Meanwhile, some miscreants indulged in stone throwing and the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd.
A bus of Kaiga Power Station was torched and buses of NWKSRTC and Karnataka Power Corporation buses parked nearby were damaged. The latter two vehicles had school-going students in them.
ASI of Ankola police station, Narayana Agera collapsed on the spot as he sustained head injuries during stone pelting.
Narayana was immediately shifted to hospital and is stated to be out of danger.
Nagappa Gowda and constable Devu R Naika have also sustained injuries in the incident.
The police have arrested 38 people in connection with the violence. Ind Bharat Power (Karwar) Company has allegedly constructed a shed and stocked materials for the work on the proposed Hanakona thermal power plant. The Gram Panchayat has issued three notices calling upon the company to clear the area and the company reportedly, did not comply with.
Ultimately, the Gram Panchayat, with police assistance, attempted to demolish the shed constructed unauthorisedly and more than 50 labourers had also arrived for the job.
However, the GP secretary Sayyad Sheikh was admitted to hospital on complaint of chest pain.
The activists of anti-power plant committee who grew suspicious over the sudden hospitalisation, went to the hospital itself and asked the secretary on further course of action, who reportedly maintained silence. The activists then approached the Taluk Panchayat executive officer seeking action.
He refused to act in the absence of any instruction. Enraged by the turn of events, the activists started a protest, accusing the officials of complicity.
They had refused to budge until a senior officer met them.