Hyderabad: A day after violence broke out at the site of an ethanol factory under construction in Pedda Dhanwada village, Rajoli mandal, Jogulamba Gadwal district, police on Thursday arrested 12 individuals, including a local newspaper editor. The arrests follow allegations of property damage and assault during a protest by farmers and activists, reports The New Indian Express.
The villagers have expressed strong opposition to the factory, claiming it would pollute the Thungabhadra River and affect the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme. According to the police, the protest turned violent on Wednesday, with furniture and machinery reportedly destroyed and stolen from the site.
Jogulamba Gadwal Superintendent of Police T. Srinivasa Rao said a case has been registered against over 40 people based on a complaint by Gayathri Renewable Aline Industries, which is building the plant. “After verifying the involvement of individuals in the incident, we have arrested 12 persons and remanded them in judicial custody,” the SP said.
The complaint by B. Manjunath, CEO of the company, stated that around 10 am on Wednesday, a mob from Pedda Dhanwada, Chinna Dhanwada, and surrounding villages entered the site, causing property damage estimated at over ₹20 lakh. Manjunath also alleged that he and his staff were attacked with bare hands, sticks, stones, and boulders. He claimed the attackers tried to set the staff room on fire and also damaged machinery, including a Hitachi vehicle, tipper, car, and generator.
The police registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Criminal Law Amendment Act against those allegedly involved. The FIR includes serious charges related to assault, arson, attempt to murder, and obstructing police officers.
According to the complaint, police who arrived at the scene were also attacked with stones, resulting in injuries to several officers, including a woman constable.
Meanwhile, in a separate protest on Thursday, residents of Ananthavaram village in Balmoor mandal, Nagarkurnool district, staged a demonstration against land acquisition for the Umamaheshwara lift irrigation project.
