Indian court convicts 31 workers over 2012 riot at Japanese car factory

A local court in India Friday convicted 31 workers for resorting to violence and causing death of a senior manager at a factory of Japanese car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki in 2012, officials said.

"Today Gurugram District Court convicted 31 persons in the case of violence and death at plant of Maruti Suzuki in 2012," a court official said. "In the case, the court however, acquitted 117 others."

The violence believed to have broken over disagreement in wages and contracts in the factory at Haryana in the outskirts of New Delhi.

Over 80 people including two foreigners were injured in the violence. The violence halted production at factory for a month.

Police had arrested 148 workers and charged them with the murder of Awanish Kumar Dev, human resource manager.

Workers' union accused Maruti of "anti-worker and anti-union activities."

The trial lasted four years.

Ahead of Friday's verdict, local authorities had imposed restrictions that prohibits assembly of more than four persons in public place. The police was deployment to enforce prohibitory orders in anticipation of workers having threatened a protest if the judgement did not turn out in their favour.

Maruti Suzuki is an automobile manufacturer in India. It is a subsidiary of Japanese automobile and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation. It is the largest car manufacturer and holds 50 per cent share in India's car market.

Source: Xinhua