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George Alexander Muthoot, Managing Director, Muthoot Finance has sustained head injuries in a stone pelting incident on Tuesday morning allegedly by protesters, while he was travelling in his car to the head office.
He was admitted to a hospital after the incident.
Sources said that his condition is stable.
A protester had thrown a big boulder at his vehicle, smashing the window panes and injuring him.
There were labour issues in the company and some workers were on an indefinite strike since January 2, following the termination of around 120 employees from service. These workers, under CITU, have started a protest against closing down of branches, besides terminating and transferring the employees.
Following the stand-off between the unions, the Kerala High Court has granted police protection to the staff working at the company’s head office.
“We strongly condemn the deplorable attack on our Managing Director by the CITU with the malafide intention of terrorising the employees and putting pressure on the management for yielding to their unjustifiable demands,” Muthoot Finance management said in a statement issued here.
“This has only strengthened the resolve of our employees to rally behind the management and fight to finish for established the fundamental right to work,” it said.
According to the press statement, from January 2, CITU workers and their supporters have been trying to block the entry of willing employees who come to work at head office, with utter disregard to the direction given by the Kerala High Court to the police that ingress and egress rights of employees should be protected and normal functioning of the head office should be ensured.
Meanwhile, the FICCI Kerala State Council strongly condemned the attack, saying that the industry and trade are deeply concerned about the ongoing agitation and forcible blockade by a major political trade union against the Kerala based NBFC with pan India presence.
The attack would give a wrong message to the investors and trade and industry especially when the Kerala Government is all set to launch the Global Investors Meet and has introduced new reforms and initiatives to attract more investments to the State, said Deepak L.Aswani, co-chair, FICCI Kerala State Council.
He urged the Chief Minister and Industries Minister to take immediate steps to take stern action against those involved in the highly unfortunate incident and take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in future.
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