India court convicts 31 over 2012 riot at Maruti Suzuki plant

A court in India has convicted 31 workers over violent protests at car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki’s main plant outside the capital Delhi in 2012.

Another 117 factory workers were acquitted over the protests, in which a senior manager was beaten to death.
Two Japanese nationals were among more than 80 people who were injured.

The violence, believed to be linked to a dispute over wages and contracts, prompted the carmaker to temporarily halt production at the factory.

Extra police were deployed outside the factory in Manesar ahead of the verdict as tensions were high.

Seven workers were found guilty of culpable homicide. Sentencing is due later on Friday.

More than 30,000 workers boycotted their meals on Thursday and warned of “further action” if their colleagues “did not get justice”.

Managers and workers blamed each other for starting the clashes, which followed months of troubled labour relations.

The violence at the vast factory in Haryana state was believed to have erupted after an altercation between a factory worker and a supervisor.

Maruti Suzuki, which is majority owned by the Japanese parent company, is India’s largest car manufacturer with a 50% share of the country’s booming car market.

Source: BBC