Surat: 93 Migrant Workers Held as They Defy Lockdown, Attack Cops

Around 500 workers gathered in an area in Surat, demanding a transport facility to reach their native places.

Migrant labourers during the complete lockdown due to coronavirus. Representational image. 

(Source: PTI)

Ninety-three migrant labourers have been arrested in Gujarat’s Surat city for allegedly defying the 21-day nationwide lockdown and attacking the police, an official told PTI on Monday, 30 March.

The situation became tense in Ganesh Nagar and Tirupati Nagar localities late on 29 March night after nearly 500 migrant workers residing there hit the roads, demanding a transportation facility to reach their native places, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vidhi Chaudhari said.

A number of people hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar live in Surat’s Pandesara area, where both the localities are situated and work in powerlooms and textile processing units, another officer said.

“When the police tried to convince them to remain indoors, they started pelting stones. Many police vehicles were damaged in the process”, Chaudhari said. However, no cops were injured.

The police fired 30 teargas shells to disperse the crowd, said DCP Vidhi Chaudhari, whose official car was also damaged in the incident. She added that while some of them were arrested on Sunday night, others were held on Monday.

“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 officer said.

On Monday afternoon, all the arrested workers were produced before JMFC court of D L Thakor and later released on bail. DCP Chaudhari told The Indian Express that the situation is under control.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and PTI)