Jharkhand: 1 killed, 6 injured in clash at stone quarry in Giridih

Giridih (Jharkhand), Nov 11 (PTI) A 55-year-old man was killed and six others were injured in a violent clash between staff members of a stone quarry and some villagers in Jharkhand's Giridih district on Tuesday, police said.

The incident took place in Dalia village in Jamua police station area.

Several rounds were also fired during the clash.

The deceased has been identified as Suresh Verma, a quarry staffer and resident of the same village, they said.

Khori Mahua Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rajendra Kumar said, "The clash occurred between staff members of the stone quarry and villagers. The quarry is legal and registered in the name of six persons." "Apart from the deceased, four quarry staff members and two villagers have sustained injuries. All are being treated at Sadar Hospital in Bokaro," the SDPO added.

The police have initiated an investigation into the matter. No one has been arrested yet in this case.

Meanwhile, Inspector General (IG) of Bokaro, Sunil Bhaskar, said, "One person succumbed to his injuries during treatment. A dispute was underway between two groups for the last few days over controlling the stone quarry." "This morning, a violent clash erupted... Armed people from neighbouring Bihar had been camping in the village for the past few days. Further investigation is underway," he added.

Arvind Verma, one of the injured persons, told the police that he had gone to the field when someone opened fire on him from behind, leading to injury.

On the other hand, the quarry manager claimed that the villagers had threatened them, saying they would not allow the mine to operate. PTI COR RPS RPS ACD