P R E S S    R E L E A S E 

Court orders eviction of VGN from

'forcibly and wrongfully' acquired Dunlop premise

Kolkata, 29 August: In its ruling on the dispute over encroachment at the Ambattur plant of Dunlop India Ltd the Court of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate in its order dated 24 August 2007 has observed that: “M/S VGN Enterprises, represented by Mr V N Devadoss has forcibly and wrongfully dispossessed the position of Dunlop India Ltd on 30 July 2007. I therefore u/s 145(4) Cr P C order that the possession of the above lands shall be restored to M/S Dunlop India Ltd.” The order has been sent to the police authority for appropriate action.

It may be recalled that on 30 July 2007 some 150-odd miscreants stormed the Ambattur factory site of Dunlop India Ltd with bulldozers, demolished a part of the boundary walls, uprooted number of trees inside the premises and forcefully claimed ownership of a part of the factory land including the Tube shop, Car– 2 shop, Flap shop, Base stores 2 & 3, LPG bullet area, Solution storage area and employee quarters. The trespassers after demolishing the factory compound wall, and usurping the aforesaid area, had put up its own compound wall in the encroached area, thus making it impossible to approach those parts of the factory and carry out the normal manufacturing activities.

Dunlop India Ltd subsequently lodged a complaint with the police authority and following the complaint the police authority asked for direction from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Revenue Divisional Officer of Ponneri Ms M S Sangeetha. 

The order of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate vindicates the stand of Dunlop India Ltd on the issue. Dunlop management is now waiting for repossession of the part of the premise which was forcibly taken away. The Ambattur plant, which was ready to produce 50 tonnes of tyre from 1 August, had to suspend all operations following the encroachment. Programmes for resuming production at the Ambattur plant will now be taken up as soon as the process of eviction of the encroachers is completed.

For any further clarification on the issue, please feel free to call Mr D Nandi, Vice President: Corporate Communications, Dunlop India Ltd at 098310 56023. You may also mail your queries to connect@dunlop.co.in

(Press Release ends)

Issued by the Corporate Office of:

Dunlop India Ltd | Ruia Centre | 46 Syed Amir Ali Avenue | Kolkata 700 012