18 hurt as tribal protesters clash with police at Nandurbar collectorate; 100 detained

Mumbai, Sept 24 (PTI) At least 18 people, including 12 police personnel, were injured when protesters hurled stones and damaged government property and vehicles on the premises of Nandurbar collector's office in north Maharashtra on Wednesday over the murder of a tribal youth, officials said.

Police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters involved in ransacking public property, said Shravan Dath, Superintendent of Police, Nandurbar.

Over 100 people have been detained by the police, and a hunt is on to identify and trace others, he said in the night, adding that a case is being registered.

The injured persons include six protesters and 12 police personnel, who were hit by stones.

Around 8,000 people from tribal communities gathered to participate in a 'silent' protest march led by local organisations in the afternoon, said another official.

The protesters demanded capital punishment for the culprits responsible for murdering a local tribal activist, identified as Jai Valvi.

He was stabbed to death on September 16, the official said, adding that some persons were arrested. The investigation is being conducted to identify the motive.

After the 'silent' march culminated at the collectorate, some members went to submit their demands to the district collector. Meanwhile, a group of demonstrators broke barricades installed at the collectorate and started hurling stones. Some vehicles parked on the campus were also damaged, the official said.

Police appealed to the demonstrators not to resort to violence, but they didn't listen.

"When some protesters tried to march to the Superintendent of Police's office and the collector's official residence, police resorted to lathi charge and also fired tear gas shells," he said.

The official stated that an additional police force has been deployed on the premises of the collectorate. PTI DC NSK