18 held for clashing with cops over removal of encroachment

Eighteen people were today arrested after they clashed with police when the civic body tried to remove a portion of a religious structure here, police said today.

Scores of people affiliated to the Hindu Dharma Raksha Samiti sat on a street in Vijay Nagar locality here to protest the action of the encroachment removal squad, supervised by the senior administrative and police officials this morning, SP-East O P Tripathi said.

There were heated arguments between protesters and security personnel, Tripathi said, adding that as some of the people were rounded up and taken to board a bus, others hurled stones at the police vehicle.

Eighteen people were arrested under section 151 of CrPC for breach of peace and were later released on bail, the SP said.

While eyewitnesses alleged that police resorted to mild lathicharge, the SP denied the charge.

No one was injured in the incident, Additional District Magistrate Alok Singh claimed.

The incident occurred when teams of senior officials of Indore Development Authority (IDA) and Municipal Corporation (IMC) went to remove portion of a religious structure to facilitate way for the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS), likely to start in the city next month.

The work on removing the encroachment at the temple has been suspended and talks would be held with the agitators, he said adding that situation was normal.