Protesters accuse CISF of lathi-charge at coal mine in Chhattisgarh's Korba

Korba, Oct 23 (PTI) A farmers' organisation on Thursday accused the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) of lathi-charging a group of displaced persons protesting against the South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in Korba district of Chhattisgarh.

The sECL, on the other hand, claimed that some people entered a prohibited area of its mine at Gevra, and tried to disrupt coal production.

Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha state joint secretary Prashant Jha alleged that CISF personnel lathi-charged the displaced people while they were peacefully protesting at SECL's Gevra mine, demanding employment, rehabilitation and compensation.

Several people including Kisan Sabha district secretary Deepak Sahu and other office-bearers were injured, he claimed.

The protest was being carried out in a peaceful manner, Jha said.

Afterwards, the injured protesters were forcibly taken to the police station, he alleged.

When villagers learned about it, they reached the Dipka police station in large numbers and demanded that a case be registered against the officer who ordered the lathi-charge.

SECL Public Relations Officer Sanish Chandra said in a statement that between 10 am and 11 am, some protesters from Naraibodh-Bhathora village entered the Gevra mine and tried to disrupt coal production and transportation.

It is a prohibited area where heavy machinery operates, he said.

When the protesters were disrupting work, a CISF team stopped them and tried to send them back, Chandra said.

Dipka police station in-charge Premchand Sahu said that generally a lathi-charge can be carried out only on the orders of the Executive Magistrate, and the CISF's powers within SECL premises were a matter of probe.

An investigation is underway, he said. PTI COR KRK