Kanpur police beat up people protesting crackdown on encroachments

Police in Kanpur today lathi charged people, including women, who were protesting against the authorities' anti- encroachment drive in the city.

Several structures were razed during the anti-encroachment drive which faced huge protest in the Maswanpur area of the city. The protests also led to a scuffle between the squad and the people. Afterwards, both the municipal authorities and the police beat up the protestors.

Women were also lathi charged as they stood in front of the bulldozers. They alleged that the police constables dragged them with their hair and beat them up.

"They beat up my husband and kids. They broke up our belongings and razed our structures without any warning or notice. This is injustice to us. This land belongs to us and it is not illegally captured," said a woman protestor.

The authorities, which had planned its anti-encroachment drive till evening, had to stop it midway due to the protests.