Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Tension prevailed in Bhanwarkuan area on Monday morning as some residents of a slum opposed the anti-encroachment drive conducted at Professors Colony by the team of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), revenue department and the police team. As the teams reached to demolish illegal settlements made by four families on a private plot after the court’s order, the locals staged a road blockade, forcing women and children to lie down on the roads.
Stones were pelted at cops and civic body staff, following which the police chased away protesters. Under the ‘remove encroachments’ campaign by the IMC, efforts were made to reach a settlement. Despite warnings, a large crowd gathered, leading to a roadblock. The crowd resorted to stone pelting, prompting the police to use mild force.
Heavy reinforcement has been deployed to control the situation. The police swiftly removed them and restored smooth traffic flow within 45 minutes. ACP Juni Indore Devendra Singh Dhurve said that the team of IMC, revenue department and the police arrived to demolish illegal settlements. The people who had encroached on the land protested against the action.
They blocked traffic on the road, but the police turned the route into one way for some time and within 45 minutes, the cops removed them from the road and brought the situation under control. SDM Ghanshyam Dankar while talking to media persons said that the people were notified to leave the encroached land, but they did not vacate the place.
The team made the private plot of an area (around 2,500 square feet) encroachment-free in which four families were residing. Around four years ago, it was established that they had encroached on the land and the matter went to court, resulting in an order to free it. A huge team of IMC and police personnel initiated the drive against people who had encroached on private land.
It is said that some youths from the slum threw stones, but no injuries were reported. Women and children sat on the road to express their anger against demolition. Later, the situation was brought under control and the IMC team demolished illegal structures erected by slum residents. The team used JCBs and other equipment and machines for removing encroachments.
A video circulating on social media shows a woman lying under the wheel of a police vehicle on the road to vent anger, with a man leaving an infant in the woman’s arms. In another video, a woman was seen assaulting a female IMC employee with a wooden stick and another with her arms.
