Police officers injured during protest in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham

Kabirdham (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 4 (ANI): Several police officers, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), were injured during a violent protest staged in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district under the banner of Gondwana Gantantra Party on Friday.

"In the incident, Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr Lal Umed Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manisha Thakur, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kaushal Kishore Wasnik, Inspector Bhushan Ekka, Inspector Chudendra and others suffered injuries as the protestors attacked the police personnel deployed in law and order duty," said a police officer.
"An ASP rank officer had reportedly suffered a fracture on the hand," the police officer added.

"Somehow, police managed to push the demonstrators out of the village and efforts are being made to arrest the brawlers," said SP Dr Singh.

"Around 450-500 people under the banner of Gondwana Gantantra Party and leadership of organisation's district president J Lingo gathered at Bazaar Chowk in the district to register their protest against the removal of a flag and marched towards village Harmo," the SP added.

"To avert any untoward incident, police placed barricades outside the village and bid to prevent the protestors from moving ahead. The agitators broke the barricade and reached the village of Longo. Later, the demonstrators gathered outside the residence of Longo and marched towards the controversial spot, from where the flag was removed, to hoist their flag," the SP said.
The officer further informed that as a preventive move, police personnel were deployed before the controversial spot to prevent the demonstrators from reaching the place.
Aggrieved from being prevented, the agitators attacked on-duty police personnel including, SP, ASP and others. To restore the law and order, police personnel resorted to a lathi charge and also lobbed tear gas shells.

"If police personnel did not prevent the agitators from reaching the controversial spot, an untoward incident may have unfolded between the two groups of the tribal community," the SP said.
"After learning about the incident, Durg Range IG Dr Anand Chhabra along with additional force reached the spot and currently the situation is under control," the SP added. (ANI)