Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Apr 24 (PTI) In an anti-encroachment drive, the Jodhpur Development Authority on Monday razed about 200 structures, most of them belonging to migrants from Pakistan.

The affected families claimed that they had purchased the plots on payment ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 2 lakh from the land mafia.

Also Read | Zero Shadow Day 2023 Date and Time: Bengaluru To Observe Rare Celestial Event on April 25; Know Why You Cannot See Your Shadow During This Mind-Boggling Phenomenon.

Protesting the demolition drive, they pelted stones at a team of Jodhpur Development Authority (JDA) personnel. A bulldozer engaged in the drive was damaged and its driver sustained injuries in the stone pelting.

A police officer said two separate cases have been filed based on complaints from a JDA inspector and a journalist who was injured while covering the drive.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Shopkeeper Injured in Firing by Militants in Anantnag.

A JDA official said that more than 400 bigha land belonging to the authority in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar had been encroached upon in the recent past and many structures had been built on it.

It was a routine anti-encroachment drive to free JDA land from encroachment, but the residents became angry stating that they had purchased this land, the official said.

When asked to show papers pertaining to the purchase of the land, they failed to provide any document, after which about 200 structures were razed, the official added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)