Seven police officials hurt in face-off with transporters in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Seven policemen, including the CIA DSP, were injured during the resistance of truck drivers against ending their protest at the toll plaza near Hyderabad. The protesters reportedly pelted the law enforcers with stones.

The Hyderabad police have registered two separate FIRs against the protesters and arrested 12 suspects, including the two who also suffered injuries during the face-off.

A heavy contingent of police had failed to end the transporters’ protest against the collection of allegedly illegal toll tax near the Tandojam toll plaza on the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas road.

In the early hours of Wednesday, another heavy contingent of police reached there to remove the protesters from the road, but the law enforcers faced a strong resistance, and were pelted with stones.

Seven policemen, including Hyderabad CIA DSP Muhammad Aslam Langah and Rahuki SHO Farhan Memon, were injured, following which the police started baton charging the protesters to disperse them. The injured cops were taken to the Civil Hospital Hyderabad. Two transporters, who were also injured, were arrested and sent to jail.

The Rahuki police registered two separate cases against the 15 nominated and over 200 unidentified suspects under the sections of terrorism, interference in government affairs, rioting, and disturbing peace and public order.

The detained suspects were identified as Khan Pathan, Wahid Bakhsh, Faridullah Pathan, Haji Jaro Murri, Warida Pathan, Mehmood, Zaman Pathan, Maher Gul, Waqar, Abdul Sattar, Wahid Bhangwar and Manthar.

The truck drivers had blocked the road and started holding a sit-in at the Tandojam Toll Plaza on Tuesday afternoon against the collection of toll tax and the increase in weight fines, resulting in the suspension of traffic movement for hours, with long queues of vehicles forming due to the protest.

The arrested transporters and drivers were brought before an anti-terrorism court, which rejected the police’s request for physical remand of the 12 arrested suspects, who were sent to jail.

According to sand and gravel truck transporters, they were charged Rs1,500 as toll tax and fined Rs5,000 for excess weight. They said four of their trucks were also impounded, adding that being baton charged was injustice with the transporters.

Hyderabad SSP Farrukh Lanjar told the media that the transporters were holding a protest since Tuesday afternoon over the increase in the fine on overweight trucks, and their demonstration continued until night, distressing people due to the blocked road.

The officer said that negotiations with the deputy commissioner failed because he could not do anything against the court’s orders, following which the transporters attacked policemen and pelted them with stones, prompting the law enforcers to taken action in accordance with the law.