Mangaluru: The city police arrested Democratic Youth Federation of India State president Muneer Katipalla and 17 others for obstructing the Mangalore Special Economic Zone authorities from carrying out work on a corridor road near Jokatte railway gate here on Thursday September 3.
Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim had recently given the orders to take up the repair work on the corridor road to SEZ, and had written to the police commissioner to provide police protection.
The works were on with heavy police security. However, the protestors did not bend to the police and agitated lying on the road where the works were going on.
The Jokatte Nagarika Horata Samiti have not been allowing any work on the corridor road for the last several months as a mark of protest against the alleged air and water pollution from MRPL’s coke and sulphur recovery units. The samiti led by Muneer had been demanding closure of the two units.
The police arrested 7 men and 11 women, and took them to the Suratkal police station.
A furious Katipalla maintained his stand and said we will not allow any works related to SEZ, we have pleaded several times still the DC has issued orders to undertake work under police protection, it is not acceptable.
Even as police have arrested the 18, other members of the Samiti and locals are still at the spot protesting indefinitely.
