Kasaragod: Tension gripped a village along National Highway 66 late on Wednesday night after a large crowd vandalised a newly opened toll plaza amid protests against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), police said.

The toll gate on the Kasaragod–Talapadi stretch began operations last Monday under heavy police protection. However, local residents and an action committee led by MLA AKM Ashraf have been staging an indefinite protest at the site since Tuesday, alleging violations of prescribed distance norms.

Protesters claim the plaza is located just 22 km from the Talapadi toll gate, contrary to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s reported assurance that toll booths would maintain a minimum distance of 60 km.

The situation turned volatile around 8.30 pm when a section of the crowd at the protest site attacked the booths, smashing glass panels and damaging CCTV cameras. Despite a large police presence, the sudden unrest caused a brief traffic snarl on the highway.

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The violence followed the failure of a mediation meeting convened by the District Collector with NHAI officials and local MLAs. Kumbla police said a case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

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