IOC terminal: Kochi residents violate prohibitory orders, arrested

Kerala police on Saturday arrested around 100 local residents of Puthuvypeen agitating against setting up of the Indian Oil Corporation's LPG import terminal citing safety issues. The protesters were arrested after they violated the orders under section 144 of the CrPC and entered the area in the morning.

Kochi (Kerala): Around 100 local residents, including women and children, marched towards Puthuvypeen near here on Saturday violating prohibitory orders clamped in the area, as part of their agitation against setting up of the Indian Oil Corporation's LPG import terminal citing safety issues.

The protesters were arrested after they violated the orders under section 144 of the CrPC and entered the area in the morning, police said.

Many local residents, including women and children, participated in the march organised from the premises of a church in the neighbourhood, the police said.

The protesters staged a sit-in after the police blocked their march.

They were taken to a police camp in the neighbourhood after their arrest, sources said.

A separate bus was arranged by the police for the children who were part of the protest.

The protesters said they would continue their agitation against the terminal, demanding the safety of the people in the neighbourhood of the terminal.

The local residents had announced earlier that they would hold a protest march to the area on Saturday.

Tight security arrangements have been made in the area since December 16 after work at the LPG import terminal restarted.

The local residents have been protesting against terminal since then in front of Elankunnappuzha panchayat office.

The work was resumed two years after it came to a halt following protests by locals citing safety issues. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in one division of the Kochi city Corporation and 10 wards of the area to deal with a possible law and order issue.

In his order issued late night on December 15, the District Collector had said he decided to clamp the Section 144 of the CrPC after he got information from reliable sources that there would be a massive protest from agitators at Puthuvypeen.

Work on the project had been stalled since February, 2017 after protests by locals turned violent.