Mumbai: One person was killed in police firing as protests against the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant in coastal Ratnagiri district on Monday turned violent with agitators setting ablaze a police station.
The man, identified as Tavrez Sejkar, was killed in police firing at Sakhrinate village when around 600-700 locals protesting against the proposed 9,900 MW project, attacked the local police station, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil told the state Assembly.
He said the agitators stormed the police station when most officials were on duty at the project site in Jaitapur since the locals were to stage a demonstration there.
Anger was brewing in the area following Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's statement here on last Friday ruling out a "rethink" on the project.
Patil said the protesters were also suspected to have decamped with some firearms and ammunition.
"A deputy superintendent of police and some constables have been injured in the incident," Patil said, adding the violent crowd set afire some police vehicles, forcing the police to fire in the air to scare the protesters away.
However, as that failed to bring the situation under control, police fired at the crowd resulting in the death of Sejkar.
Justifying the police firing, IG (Law and Order) Gulabrao Pol said, "We had done everything to control the situation, but the mob consisting of hundreds of people took law and order into their hands."
Nearly 25 persons have been picked up following the protests, he said.
The mob violated prohibitory orders, assaulted police in which at least eight personnel including a Deputy SP were injured, pelted stones, damaged the property of Nate police station and torched the documents there, Pol said.
"Our men fired teargas shells, lathicharged the mob and fired rubber bullets. Later, we had no option but to fire bullets in which one person was killed," Pol added.
Meanwhile, the Sena has given a bandh call in Ratnagiri district tomorrow to protest the police firing at Jaitapur.
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