Death in Haryana unit, protesters set it ablaze

GURGAON: People from villages around an industrial zone in Mewat district set fire to a factory on Sunday in protest against the mysterious death of a worker, whose body was found hanging from a tree in a park just opposite the facility.
Around 12 people, several of them policemen, were injured as the villagers went on the rampage, pelting stones at the cops when they tried to stop them and vandalizing vehicles.
Tension simmered in the area, known as Rozka Meo, since morning when the body of a local youth, identified as Hanif, was found hanging from a tree. Police informed the parents of the youth, who came to site along with villagers. They said Hanif was fine when he had gone to work on Saturday but did not return at night. They alleged Hanif had been murdered. “My son could not have committed suicide,” said Mazeed, Hanif’s father.
Villagers accompanying Hanif’s parents began protesting at the site. The protest soon turned violent as they attacked policemen posted outside the factory and broke open the gates. They also threw stones at the facility, smashing windowpanes. Rajesh Kumar, the SHO of Rojka Meo and 10 policemen were injured. The police called in reinforcements but the situation worsened.
Soon, other villagers from nearby areas joined in and set the factory on fire. They also blocked the road leading to the area, resulting in the firefighters reaching almost an hour late. It was only when Mewat DC Ashok Sangwan and SSP Balwan Singh Rana arrived at the spot that the villagers agreed to call off the protest. Rana said the investigation was going on and forces had been deployed in the area.