Jamshedpur, Aug. 1: Police resorted to lathicharge near JMT Auto Limited, an ancillary unit of Tata Motors, in Adityapur this afternoon when a group of workers of the company were agitating against the random retrenchment of workers by the management of the company.

The police allegedly chased the workers and thrashed them with lathis after dragging the workers out from a nearby house where they had taken shelter.

According to sources, trouble started when the company management served a notice to retrench five of its workers. The five workers were supposed to attend the B-shift duty but were prevented by the security guards from entering the company today.

The five even alleged to have been beaten by security guards at the company’s gate as management officials stood mute spectators. After they were beaten up, there was commotion inside the company and all the workers came out in support of the five. The workers protested the retrenchment policy of the company and started raising slogans against the management.

Soon a police party arrived at the scene and lathicharged the agitating workers.

According to sources, the company management had called in the police apprehending trouble by the agitators. After the lathicharge, the workers abandoning their work held a meeting outside the company’s gate protesting against the policy of the company.

Subsequently, the workers rushed to Adityapur police station demanding justice.

Rajeev Duggal, the managing director of JMT Auto Limited, said the company had 32 trainees at present but the five workers were putting pressure on the management to make them permanent. Therefore, these five people were retrenched.

“Few days back the administration imposed Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code against holding any meeting in the vicinity of the company. Today a section of trainees instigated by some politician were creating trouble. So the police was informed to take stock of the situation,” Duggal said.

Circle inspector of Adityapur police station Naresh Shahay said they lathicharged some workers as they were agitating in front of the company.

“We have ensured that no untoward incident takes place at JMT Auto Limited as some labour problem is going on,” said the inspector, adding the situation is under control now.