Police used force against employees of Smarak Suraksha Vahini, formed to protect memorials during previous Mayawati regime, as they hit the streets against non-payment of salary for the last three months and placed the body of a staff claiming he died of heart attack in penury.
"The employees of the Vahini started protest in Gomti Nagar area after placing the body of one of their colleagues, Chotu, who allegedly died due to cardiac arrest because of financial problems throwing the traffic of the city in disarray," Senior Superintendent of Police, Pravin Kumar, said.
The protesters were alleging that the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), which pays their salaries, had not released it for the past three months and Chotu had died because of financial problems, the SSP said.
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"The police officials who reached there on getting the report of traffic jam tried to pacify them and also made them talk to the Lucknow's District Magistrate, Raj Shekhar who took the charge of LDA VC yesterday," the SSP said.
Though the DM assured that the salary issue would be taken up soon, some of the protestors demanded his presence at the site of protest.
Later, they tried to stop a school bus and started stone pelting, the SSP said, adding that police had to use mild force and teargas shells to disperse them.
Ruling out injury to any protestor or policeman, the SSP said that seven people have been taken into custody.
He also said that a case has been registered against hundreds of protestors and action would be taken after identifying the culprits with the help of CCTV footage.
