A group of people, led by social activist Ranjit Singh Parmar, who began a fast unto death on Tuesday to protest against the construction of a road through DAV Plus Two High School ground at Dari Muhalla here, has accused the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel of forcibly driving them out of the protest site on Thursday.

Around 50 students of the school accompanied by 100 more people, including their parents and local residents, reached Birsa Chowk near Bank Mor on Thursday and blocked traffic for an hour to protest against the RPF’s high-handedness.

The blockade was lifted after the arrival of a police team led by officer in-charge of Bank Mor police station, Surendra Singh, who held talks with the protesters.

“We are not against the construction of the road. We are demanding the diversion of the road so that the school ground can be saved. The railway police attacked us today morning while we were observing fast unto death. Some of the protestors, including me, were brutally beaten up by the RPF personnel,” Parmar told the media.

Parmar claimed that the railway administration had earlier prepared a detailed project report for constructing the road around 25m away from the school ground.

“Later, they changed the plan and started building the road through the school ground. We have been staging a dharna at Randhir Verma Chowk from January 10 to 13 and began the fast unto death at the school ground from Tuesday,” Parmar said.

Ashok Sao, president of DAV Plus Two School’s managing committee said the ground was used for morning assembly and sporting activities.

The under-construction road at the DAV Plus Two High School ground at Dari Muhalla in Purana Bazaar, Dhanbad, on Thursday

“But the railways started constructing a road passing through the ground today (Thursday) morning. The RPF personnel also attacked and brutally beat up some of the agitators,” Sao added.

Sao said the railway administration had on Tuesday served a notice to the school management stating that the lease of the ground owned by the railways had been cancelled 32 years ago in 1988.

“They also mentioned a pending payment of around Rs 3.41 crore, but it is a ploy on their part to take back the ground and use it for road construction,” Sao claimed.

RPF officer in-charge of Railway Avinash Karosia denied using any force on the protesters.

“We were deputed at the site for the protection of workers and equipment. Some of the protesters, who were sitting atop the earthmovers working at the construction site, were removed,” he said.

Karosia said the protesters also hurled abuses against the RPF personnel.

“The road is being constructed for the benefit of a large of passengers coming to the Dhanbad station. They can now directly access the newly developed south-side extension complex, which is lying unused ever since its construction in 2014 in the absence of an approach road,” he added.

He claimed the road would also ease traffic snarls at Bank Mor and Gaya bridge as a large number of passengers from Jharia, Sindri, Sudamdih, Patherdih, Dhansar, Joraphatak, Sindri would be able to directly reach the station without having to pass through Bank Mor area.