Highway construction workers clash in Tronica City; one dead, five injured

Group of workers from West Bengal and Saharanpur were returning home, when some workers from Saharanpur boarded the tractor of the West Bengal group and this led to an argument and violence

A clash between two groups of workers engaged in construction of Delhi-Saharanpur highway in Loni’s Tronica City resulted in one of them being killed and five others injured late Wednesday evening, senior police officers said on Thursday, adding that the incident took place near Panchlok village when two group of workers were returning on their tractors from the highway construction site.

THe highway construction site in Tronica City, where the clash took place on Wednesday evening. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The police said the deceased worker, Mohammad Nadeem, 30, hailed from Saharanpur and died after being beaten up severely with rods and sticks by the other group.

“One group belongs to workers from West Bengal while the injured group of workers hail from Saharanpur. While the workers were returning home, some workers from Saharanpur boarded the tractor of the West Bengal group. When they objected, the workers from Saharanpur beat one of their men. In retaliation, the other group called up their co-workers who came armed with rods and sticks and a fight ensued,” said Suryabali Maurya, assistant commissioner of police, Loni.

The police said five workers from Saharanpur sustained injuries in the attack while Nadeem was declared dead at the hospital.

“The five injured workers are stable and undergoing treatment. The workers have also been involved in altercations previously while trying to race tractors. We have received a complaint from the family of the dead worker and an FIR has been registered. Eight suspects have been picked up for questioning and will be formally arrested soon,” the ACP said.

The police said the eight suspects were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 302 (murder) at the Tronica City police station.

The Delhi-Saharanpur highway project, taken up by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is 180km long and its first phase -- from Akshardham in Delhi to Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh -- a distance of about 31.6km, passes through Ghaziabad’s Loni.

Police said the workers involved in the clash were deployed at one of the sites in Loni. The officials of NHAI attached to the project did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment on the incident.