Haryana: 123 workers were taken into custody but let off with a warning, said police. (Representational)
At least 123 workers of a company were taken into custody on Tuesday after they set fire to a bus and damaged others during their protest against sacking of some of their colleagues in Manesar town, said police.
Workers of JNS instruments limited, a manufacturer of the parts for Maruti, have been on protest for the last few days against the alleged sacking of some of their co-workers by the company and demanding that they be taken back.
Authorities had imposed section 144 of CrPC and barred entry of any protester within 500 meters radius of the company.
However, the protesting workers blocked the entry of the company early in the morning, police said, adding they also allegedly threatened other employees of the company.
Police and the duty magistrate reached the spot and warned the protestors of action. As the workers did not leave the premises, the duty magistrate ordered action against them, they said.
Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the protesters under sections 147 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC at IMT, Manesar police station, police said.
A police team reached the spot and again asked the workers to leave the spot. When some workers were taken into custody, the others ran away, the police said.
It was around 7 pm when they again gathered outside the company and damaged windowpanes of a bus and also set another to fire. The fire brigade was called which controlled the flames. After this police caught 123 workers, including 70 women, they said.
"We arrested 123 protesters. We let them off on police bail with a warning," said inspector Subhash Kumar, Station House Officer of IMT, Manesar police station.
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