(Clockwise from top) Home guards break the police cordon, a guard is led away, and police baton-charge protesters at Lower PMG Square in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 22: Ten persons, including director-general of police Prakash Mishra and deputy commissioner of police Nitinjeet Singh, were injured today following a pitched battle between cops and home guards at Lower PMG Square on Mahatma Gandhi Marg.

The police have arrested more than 50 home guards. Home guard Amir Khan, attached to Nayapalli police station, suffered serious injuries when a tear gas shell hit him on the head. The cops were trying to prevent the home guards from going near the Assembly.

Mishra was hit by a stone in his abdomen as the agitators allegedly pelted the police with stones. In retaliation, the police resorted to baton-charge, used water canons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the agitators.

Nearly 17,775 home guards have been agitating since Wednesday to press for their demands that include getting the status of Class IV government employees, reinstatement of their illegally retrenched colleagues and pay hike from Rs 200 to Rs 400.

This afternoon, around 4,000 home guards marched towards the Assembly, breaking two police barricades. After reaching the final barricade, the police alleged that the demonstrators pelted them with stones. A clash ensued.

Senior police officials, including Mishra, additional director-general of police (intelligence) Abhay and police commissioner Sunil Roy, rushed to the spot. After a stone hit Mishra, the police started using water canons. When this failed to stop the brick-batting, the cops fired tear gas shells and baton-charged the agitators.

Home guard Satyajit Kar said the cops arrested their leader, Sanjay Behera, in the morning and kept his whereabouts secret which had infuriated them.

“Besides, many of our friends were not allowed to join the agitation. They were detained at several places. We did not want to resort to violence, nor did we want to break the barricade. But, the police baton-charged us, forcing us to hurl stones at them,” he said.

The police commissioner said as the home guards had resorted to violence, the police had to take action against them. “Action will be taken against those, who indulged in violence,” said Roy.