Twelve labourers received minor injuries after the police allegedly resorted to mild cane charge at the premises of JP Cement at Bagga village today.

On Thursday, a worker at the factory had died after falling from a building. The workers were protesting against the indifferent contract labour system, and the attitude of police in not initiating the required action against the management of the company.

The trouble started on Friday afternoon when around 800 workers and leaders of trade unions staged a dharna outside the company’s office, and raised slogans against the management, the police and the government.

The workers also demanded fulfillment of their long-pending demands. The demands of the workers include adequate compensation to the next of the kin of the deceased worker, Nishant, from Uttar Pradesh. Nishant had died on the spot.

Sources say that after the police came to the factory and asked the agitating workers to lift their dharna, some of them allegedly assaulted the cops, leaving two constables injured. Soon, other workers allegedly started pelting stones on the police. It is learnt that police resorted to a mild cane charge to disperse the mob.

Denying the cane charge, Superintendent of Police S P S Verma said that following the allegations of the workers that some of them had got hurt, the Bagga Station House Officer asked the trade union leaders and workers to come forward for medical examination. Verma said that no worker came to the police for medical aid. Verma added that light force was used to control the agitating mob.