COIMBATORE: Thirty guest workers of an edible-oil manufacturing company near Modakuruchi in Erode were arrested on Thursday for allegedly assaulting police personnel during a protest on Wednesday night.
Hundreds of guest workers of the firm staged a protest at 11.45 pm that night after a fellow guest worker died in an accident on the premises hours earlier. They had sought a compensation of Rs 12 lakh to the man's family.
A police team from Modakuruchi police station, headed by inspector T Deepa, tried to hold talks with them, but heated arguments between police and guest workers escalated into a clash. Seven police personnel, including the woman inspector, and a few company staff were injured.
On Thursday morning, the police detained a group of guest workers and, based on a complaint from police inspector T Deepa, a case was registered against the workers under IPC sections, including 147, 148, and 307, and the provisions of the TNPPDL Act.
On Thursday evening, police arrested 30 workers and the process to arrest the remaining suspects was underway, the sources added.