Representative imageAlappuzha: The CITU and AITUC-affiliated head load workers, hours before protesting against the notorious 'nokkukooli,' barged into a house in Alappuzha and beat up three siblings who were shifting from a rented accommodation.
The workers who reached the rented accommodation of Selvasingh, 36, and his family at Kaniyamkulam, allegedly introduced themselves and demanded Rs.1,250 as 'nokkukooli.'
Selvasingh, who was loading his household items onto a goods auto along with his brothers, Christopher Devasingh and Vishesh, refused to pay up as they were loading the cargo themselves.
The enraged head loaders allegedly barged into the house and beat up the brothers in front of their 66-year-old mother Gracy who is a cancer patient. They are also known to have threatened the police who tried to intervene.
The family had moved to a rented facility at Kaniyamkulam as their own house at Thathampally was under renovation. The family had started the renovation and shifted out to ensure their ailing mother was not affected by the dust. The scuffle allegedly cooled down only after the family paid Rs.1,000 to the head loaders.
Recently, road work in the district was halted after union workers sought 'nokkukooli' from a raod contractor. Public works minister G. Sudhakaran had to intervene to get the work back on track after the contractor abandoned work fearing reprisal from the unions. the minister had stated that all work would be abandoned if unions stuck to 'nokkukooli' demand.
