Bhopal: Observance of the 27th anniversary
of the Bhopal gas disaster took a violent turn on Saturday with a
number of people, including two senior district officials,
injured in stone pelting, while protesters indulged in arson
here, police said.
Collector Nikunj Shrivastava, City Superintendent of
Police (CSP) H N Guru and some women were among those who
suffered injuries in stone pelting by protesters who staged
rail roko in support of various demands of the gas tragedy
survivors, police said.
Four police jeeps and a dozen motorcycles were set
Afire during the agitation, they said. A police jeep and an OB
van of ETV news channel were damaged in stone pelting.
The agitators resorted to rail blockade at Barkhedi,
Aishbagh and Chhola Road railway crossings and squatted on the
tracks, disrupting traffic on the busy Delhi-Chennai route.
When police asked the protesters to leave, they
indulged in stone pelting.
Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ghanshyam Singh said
the traffic was disrupted on the Delhi-Chennai route. Many
trains were stranded at Vidisha, Itarsi and Habibganj stations
due to the agitation.
Section 144 of CrPC, that bans gathering of five or
more persons, was imposed in Aishbagh area, police said.
Police force has been deployed in strength in the
affected areas.
The rail roko call was given by NGOs working for the
rights of the gas affected victims, who are demanding adequate
compensation, among other things.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 03, 2011, 17:46