COIMBATORE: As many as 30 guest workers who were working in the manufacturing and refinery unit of an edible oil company near Modakuruchi in Erode were arrested on Thursday for allegedly assaulting police personnel on Wednesday night during a protest.
The incident took place in front of the company at Nanjai Uthukkuli near Modakuruchi at 11.45 pm on Wednesday.
Hundreds of guest workers in the firm staged a protest after a fellow guest worker died in an accident on the premises. According to police, the deceased, Kamothram (30), a native of Bihar, was working as a boiler operator. He was residing at Modakuruchi along with his wife and two children. Around 9 pm, he was allegedly hit by a truck on campus and died on the spot. More than 300 guest workers gathered in front of the company and staged a protest seeking immediate compensation of Rs 12 lakh to the deceased person's family.
Meanwhile, 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 and the mob started to assault the police personnel using wooden logs and stones. Seven police personnel, including the woman inspector, and a few company staff were injured and their vehicles were also damaged.
Later, the situation was brought under control by deploying additional force from the district Armed Reserve, the police said.
All seven police personnel were taken to a nearby hospital and treated in the outpatient ward. The police who held an inquiry detained a group of guest workers on Thursday morning. Based on the complaint from police inspector T Deepa, a case was registered against the workers under 10 sections including 147, 148, 307 and the provisions of the TNPPDL Act.
Following the investigation, the police arrested 30 workers on Thursday evening and the process to arrest the remaining suspects was underway, the sources added.