Tuticorin : Agitation over Sterlite factory turns violent, at least 20 injured
Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, May 22 (IBNS) : At least 20 people, including eleven policemen, were injured in an orgy of violence over protests against Sterlite's industrial copper plant on Monday, media reports said.
Unconfirmed reports said several people were killed in police firing.
Police said section 144 of CrPc has been clamped in and around the Sterlite unit to provide security to it as per the orders of the Madras High Court.
According to reports, the trouble broke out as local residents were demanding the closure of the plant, citing pollution and health issues and clashed with police, pelting stones after they were prevented from marching towards the plant.
The also set fire to two police jeeps and damaged more than ten police vehicles.
The angry protestors also set set fire to Collector office premises and the quarters of Sterlite employees, reports said.
As the mob refused to disperse the cops used tear gas to disperse the protestors near Sterlite employees residential quarters.
The protest intensified after the company announced the expansion of its unit in the city.
A heavy reinforcement of police force has been rushed to the area. Police said the situation has been brought under control.
Sterlite Copper, which currently operates a 400,000-tonne per annum unit in the city, maintains that it has received necessary permits and has not violated any norms.
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