CHANDIGARH: Several people, including eight policemen, were injured as the Haryana police resorted to a cane charge on Monday to disperse protesting workers of Liberty footwear company who had blocked National Highway No. 1 at Bastada village near Gharaunda.

The police also lobbed tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets in the air.

The Deputy Commissioner of Karnal, Rakesh Gupta, and Superintendent of Police Shibas Kaviraj said nearly 2,000 workers had blocked the highway since morning resulting in a massive traffic jam.

Senior district officials including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the Haryana Roadways General Manager and the Deputy Superintendent of Police pleaded with the workers to lift the blockade but to no avail as they were demanding immediate release of their arrested colleagues.

The SDM even explained to them that it was not legally possible to concede their demand as the matter was sub judice.

Ultimately around noon, the police resorted to a "mild'' cane charge, tear gas and firing in the air to disperse the workers and normalise vehicular movement. Mr. Gupta said the workers not only hurled stones at the policemen but also broke the windowpanes of two State Roadways and two private buses.

Workers armed: police

He also said that some workers were armed with knives, swords and petrol bombs.

The SDM disclosed that the police had registered cases against 11 workers on June 24 on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Liberty management that they had allegedly beaten up some officials. Matters came to a head on Monday morning when the police arrested eight of these 11 workers.

Soon Liberty workers from all the nearby units gathered near Bastada and resorted to the blockade. Mr.Gupta added that cases had been registered against the workers and 14 persons had been arrested.

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