27 arrested after 19 cops injured, police vehicles vandalised in riot
The Viraj factory management obtained a Palghar court order against the strike and restrained the workers from entering the factory premises in Boisar
Mumbai As many as 19 police officers and a few members of the labour union of Viraj Profiles, a stainless steel manufacturing company in Tarapur MIDC, were injured, while 12 police vehicles and other properties were vandalised in a riot in Boisar on Saturday afternoon.
“Around 27 have been arrested on charges of attempt to murder, assaulting policemen on duty, rioting and others,” said Nityanand Jha, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Boisar.
Jha said that the riot started because a new union with 150 workers had threatened to go on a strike and stop production from May 16. After this, the Viraj factory management obtained a Palghar court order against the strike and restrained the workers from entering the factory premises in Boisar. They were told that the production would be done by outsourced contract workers if the union, consisting of permanent workers, went on a strike.
However, on Saturday, the union members forcibly entered the factory and “went on a rampage”, said Jha. “As soon as we reached the factory and tried to pacify the workers, they went berserk. They injured 19 cops and destroyed police vans and vehicles belonging to the management. The police had to resort to lathi-charge,” he added.
Meanwhile, some of the workers said that the members of the management had assaulted them. As many as 10 workers sustained injuries during the riot. The injured workers and cops have been admitted to Tungha Hospital in Boisar.
The accused have been remanded to police custody. More than 300 policemen are on bandobast near the unit to prevent any further law and order situation.