9 hurt as villagers attack workers at sand mining site, torch 8 vehicles
VARANASI : Enraged over the alleged beating of a local resident by two people working at a sand mining site in Barahmori village, a group of 80 villagers pelted the workers with stones and set afire eight vehicles, including three four-wheelers and five twowheelers, on Wednesday morning, police said.
Nine people, including two villagers and seven workers of the sand mining site, were injured in violence, they added.
Additional superintendent of police Dr Awadhesh Kumar said, “Armed with sticks, about 80 villagers reached the mining site on Wednesday and attacked the contractor’s associates and workers. The y also set eight vehicles on fire.” He said a case would be registered in this connection after a complaint was received by the police. “The situation is completely under control,” he added. While some villagers alleged that a few associates of the contractor reached the village on Tuesday night and misbehaved with a girl, the police rubbished the charge as baseless.
The villagers also claimed that they did not set any vehicle on fire and the contractor’s men themselves damaged their vehicles to frame them.
They alleged that the contractor and his men threatened them after they complained about the beating of the local.
They demanded that work at the site should be stopped as the contractor’s associates and employees often misbehaved with them and dust from the site was causing damage to their crop and affecting their health.
› Armed with sticks, about 80 villagers reached the mining site on Wednesday and attacked the contractor’s associates and workers. DR AWADHESH KUMAR , Additional superintendent of police