Death near RIL Jamnagar plant sparks off tension

Tension gripped the Moti Khavdi industrial zone in Jamnagar district on Tuesday when over 1,000 labours assembled following the death of a 25-year-old labourer, Lalla Tulsiram Bapat who died when a truck ran over him near the New Labor Colony in Kanalus Village boundary.

Bapat was on the rolls of the contractors of Reliance Industries Limited and his death threatened to create tension in the area but since the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) platoons were deployed nearby, any violent fallout was averted.

The SRPF had been deployed in the industrial zone following a scuffle in the company premises of Essar Oil in August, when labourers reacted violently and damaged security office torching two company-hired vehicles, due to a similar incident, wherein their colleague's leg was crushed by a four-wheeler on the same highway.

As such accidents have been frequently occurring in the industrial site where Essar and Reliance have their full-fledged operations, especially the special economic zone (SEZ) projects, an additional police outpost has been erected here.

Bapat's body was shifted to a hospital immediately and even initial jottings in terms of FIR or other such records were not listed at the Meghpar police station.

Such instances of labourers assembling for minor matters and clashes in the Industrial zone of Moti-Khavdi of Jamnagar district within and outside the company premises have been increasing tremendously.

A similar incident had taken place in September last year, when villagers clashed with labours of Reliance Industries Limited.