SURAT: As much as 93 migratory labourers have gotten arrested in Surat, Gujarat. The labourers infringed the nationwide lockdown orders which were imposed by the government for 21 days and also attacked police officials, as reported by a source on Monday, 30 March.
On Sunday night around 500 migrants from Ganesh Nagar and Tirupati Nagar gathered on the road and began demanding facilities like transport in order to reach their hometowns, as per Vidhi Chaudhari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
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A large number of labourers belonging to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh reside in Pandesara area, Surat. Both, Ganesh Nagar and Tirupati Nagar are located in this area. Many textile processing units and power looms are also in this area where the labourers supposedly work.
DCP Chaudhary revealed, "When the police were trying to convince them to remain indoors, they started pelting stones at the security personnel. Several police vehicles were damaged in the stone-pelting."
Almost 30 teargas shells were used by the police to get a hold of the situation and to disband the violent gathering. DCP Chaudhary also mentioned that their car also faced damages in the situation.
“We have lodged an FIR against a mob of 500 people and arrested 93 of them. They were charged under sections for rioting, attacking police, damaging public property and also under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act for defying restrictions," the official added.
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The violence is allegedly the result of strict laws incurred by the Centre to stop the workers from being on the move in order to control further spread of the life-endangering coronavirus, which has been declared a global pandemic.