India, June 23 -- In a midnight operation, the district administration removed a newly installed six-inch T-joint from the Bhakra drinking water pipeline in Chanot village amid heavy police deployment. The authorities said the connection was illegal and lacked official authorisation.

Led by Hansi deputy commissioner Rahul Narwal and superintendent of police Vinod Kumar, hundreds of police personnel arrived at the village with an earthmover around 1am on Tuesday to dismantle the fitting. The move triggered resistance from local residents, who maintained that authorities had authorised the installation. To control the swelling crowd, the police deployed tear gas shells and resorted to a mild lathi-charge, resulting in minor injuries to a f...