Imphal, March 27 2010: At least four people including two protestors and two passengers of a vehicle hospitalized today apart from smashing as many as seven vehicles on the second day of indefinite bandh imposed on the NH-53 .

On the second day, today protestors went on battled with police who resorted in firing tear gas and using other mob ammunition devices in the bid to foil locals of Patsoi and its surrounding areas blocking the Imphal-Jiribam section of the NH-53 .

Locals were blocking the highway under banner of Yurembam-Patsoi-Tabungkhok Land Protection Demand Committee opposing the move of acquisition of cultivable land in the surrounding area of for upgradation of exiting 135 KV power sub-station into 400 KV sub-station by taking over around 25 acres of land.

Police fired several rounds of tear gas when protestors smashed as many as seven vehicles plying on the highway violating the bandh.

One of the tear gas shells fired by the police hit to a rice mill on the side of the highway and exploded inside it where some persons are working resulted to fainting of two persons inside the mill.

The two persons were immediately evacuated at RIMS hospital, Imphal.

A passenger vehicle coming from Imphal side which was forced to back by the protestors met with accident.

In the accident two passengers injured and evacuated at RIMS hospital by the police.

The protestors took to the street to imposed bandh battled with the police till late this afternoon.

They stoned toward police in return to police's tear gas shells fired towards them.

Normal traffic on the Imphal-Jiribam section of the NH-53 at Patsoi area in Imphal west has been disturbing since the commencement of indefinite bandh on the highway by the Yurembam-Patsoi-Tabungkhok Land Protection Demand Committee.

The committee is pressing government to review the land acquisition move of the Power Grid Corporation of India required for upgradation of a Power Sub-station at Yurembam.

Yesterday also, at least seven vehicles were attacked and damaged in the stoning by the protestors.

They also set on fire an oil tanker before police arrived and intervened to douse the fire and prevented from causing major damage to the vehicle.

Locals, particularly farmers whose lands are affected by the government land acquisition moved have been demanding reviewed of the government decision to allocate more lands to the Power Grid since government initiated steps for expansion of the power sub-station.

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