Karnataka - Shimoga   

Autorickshaw drivers go on snap strike

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA, JUNE 29. Autorickshaw drivers went on a snap strike on Tuesday after a fracas between a police official and one of their colleagues. Stones were thrown at vehicles.

It is said that Krishnamurthy, police sub-inspector, beat up Irfan, an autorickshaw driver, near the bus stand. This made autorickshaw drivers resort to a strike demanding immediate suspension of the police officer.

Autorickshaws were off the road since morning as news about the incident spread. The autorickshaw owners and drivers took out a procession from the Science Maidan demanding suspension of the police official.

They went to the Superintendent of Police, K.H. Srinivasan, and submitted a memorandum in support of their demand. When Mr. Srinivasan promised to take action, the demonstrators insisted that the police official should be suspended immediately.

Meanwhile, another delegation of the autorickshaw drivers, led by Rajasekhar, Chidananda, and Annaiah, presented a memorandum urging Mr. Srinivasan to instruct the police officials not to harass autorickshaw drivers. The demonstrators threatened to resume the strike from Monday if the police official was not suspended by Saturday.

Even as the office-bearers of the Auto Drivers' Association were holding talks with the Superintendent of Police, a group of autorickshaw drivers went berserk and threw stones on vehicles damaging a KSRTC bus, a private bus, and a maxi-cab.

A police team, led by the Additional Superintendent of Police, D.C. Rajappa, rushed to the spot. The police resorted to a lathicharge when the mob threw stones on them. They brought the situation under control.

A cameraman of Udaya TV was injured. He was taken to the McGann Hospital. The police took ten autorickshaw drivers into custody and registered cases against them.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Science & Tech |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Shortage of native paddy strains worries experts
• Autorickshaw drivers go on snap strike
• `People should participate in anti-malaria drive'
• E-filing of excise returns from today
• Central team visits Kodachadri

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu