Cops hurt, vehicles damaged in violent stir

Several people were injured in stone throwing and lathicharge when police tried to disperse agitating garment employees in Bommanahalli on Hosur Road on Monday.

The workers were protesting against a new provident fund rule which barred employees from drawing their PF before retirement.

Around 9.30 am, the management of Jockey Garments, K Mohan Garments and Sai Garments told their employees that they could not withdraw their PF till retirement. The shocked employees immediately resorted to slogan shouting.

When some employees requested the police to allow them march to the PF office at Singasandra to submit a memorandum, police first turned down their request. But they relented when employees assured them it will be a peaceful march. But once they reached Hosur Road, the employees suddenly blocked the road.

Soon 30,000-40,000 employees from the three garment factories joined the protest between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm, leading to a traffic pile-up at Bommanahalli. The protesters then demanded that a senior PF employee from the Singasandra PF office address them. At around 12.30 pm, a joint commissioner from the PF office arrived at the spot and assured them that since the new rule was not notified, the government would not be able to implement it.

Around 2.30 pm, as vehicles began to pile up, police tried to let vehicles through at one corner. Protesters who noticed this, started throwing stones at the vehicles and at the police, injuring a few of them. Police, who were restrained as women were at the forefront of the protests, used force as the protests turned violent. They lathicharged the crowd, including women, who ran for cover.

Three buses, four police jeeps and one KSRP vehicle were pelted with stones. Around15 head cons tables/constables, one additional commissioner of police, one ACP and four inspectors were among the injured. Four protesters were also injured. In all, 700 policemen were deployed.