Mass Arrests and Attempt to Murder Charges in Gurgaon After Violent Wage Protest
In a significant escalation of labor unrest, fifty-five individuals, including approximately twenty women, were arrested in Gurgaon on Friday. This followed a day of intense violence where contractual workers from multiple companies in IMT Manesar vandalized police vehicles, set a motorcycle ablaze, and clashed with law enforcement during a protest demanding higher wages. Two First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed, with one invoking serious charges of attempt to murder.
FIR Details and Legal Proceedings
The FIRs were registered at the Sector 7 IMT Manesar police station based on complaints from Richa Global Exports Pvt Ltd and Modelama Exports Pvt Ltd. In the first FIR, lodged by officials of Richa Global, eleven individuals were booked for attempt to murder. According to police sources, forty-four people were arrested in connection with the second FIR. All fifty-five detainees were produced before a local court, which remanded eleven of them to fourteen days of judicial custody.
Police spokesperson Sandeep Turan stated that the remaining forty-four were offered bail at the police station but refused to accept it. "They were then produced before the court. The hearing for their bail is scheduled for Monday," Turan added. The complaints detailed that agitators damaged vehicles and property and allegedly heckled officials during the protest.
Violence Erupts Despite Prohibitory Orders
The violence erupted on Thursday, a day after the district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, banning assemblies of five or more people in Manesar. Despite these restrictions, over 1,000 contractual workers gathered outside multiple factories across sectors in the morning.
As per the FIR filed by Ramveer Singh, AGM (HR) at Richa Global Exports, around 200–250 workers had been protesting outside the company’s three units—one in Sector 7 and two in Sector 4—for several days over salary demands. Around 10:30 AM on Thursday, some protesters allegedly began pelting stones at police personnel and company officials, besides vandalizing vehicles and setting them on fire. Police used mild force to disperse the crowd after warnings were ignored.
Extensive Damage and Assault Allegations
The FIR also states that two female employees—Sushila Devi from Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, and Rani Devi from Muzaffarpur, Bihar—were assaulted during the incident. Multiple vehicles were damaged across the company’s units:
- At the Sector 7 unit, an Ertiga (HR26GV7062), a Tata bus (HR55GV4426), and a police motorcycle (HR26GV9188) were vandalized, with the motorcycle set on fire.
- At other units, damaged vehicles included a Swift Dzire (HR26CE3510), Eeco (DL4CAU8323), Tata Intra (HR55AK0846), Mahindra Thar (HR26FU3217), Kia Seltos (HR26GC0336), an e-rickshaw (HR55AH3138), a motorcycle (HR26DS1545), and two Hero Splendor bikes (UP13CK7490 and HR51BU0431).
The complainant further alleged that machinery and property inside the units were damaged and accused certain labor organizations, including Inquilabi Mazdoor and the Automobile Industrial Contract Worker Union, of instigating the workers.
Second FIR and Police Response
In the second FIR, filed by Suresh Kumar, senior manager (HR) at Modelama Exports, 300–400 workers had gathered outside its Sector 4 unit when violence broke out around 10 AM. According to the complaint, protesters pelted stones at police and company officials and vandalized vehicles, including a WagonR (HR26FM4108), a police Bolero (HR26GV3542), and an ERV vehicle (HR99-0257). They also damaged the company’s main gate, CCTV cameras, windows, and green belt fencing.
Police said the protesters defied prohibitory orders, obstructed government work, and attacked personnel deployed to maintain law and order. Both FIRs include multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to rioting, unlawful assembly, obstruction of public servants, and damage to property, while attempt to murder was invoked in the Richa Global case. Police remained deployed across IMT Manesar on Friday, and the situation was reported to be under control.
Union Condemnation and Trigger for Protest
Workers’ unions condemned the police action on social media, calling the use of force unnecessary and demanding the immediate release of those arrested. Harish, a member of the Inquilabi Mazdoor union, stated that the hike in LPG prices was a key trigger. He added that after the district commissioner announced a salary hike, protesters on Thursday morning asked company authorities to paste notices regarding the decision. "The officials did not paste the notices announcing acceptance of the government’s directions, which led to the major protest," Harish said.
Police indicated that further investigation is underway and more arrests are likely. Meanwhile, authorities held a meeting with company representatives and contractors, issuing directives aimed at ensuring timely payment of wages, maintaining law and order, and improving transparency. The meeting was convened by Manesar DCP Prabina and attended by owners and representatives of multiple companies, along with contractors operating in the industrial area.
During the meeting, companies and contractors were directed to ensure that all workers are paid in accordance with government-prescribed wages. They were also asked to display details of these wages prominently on notice boards outside their establishments to ensure transparency and awareness among workers, Turan emphasized.
