Alappuzha: Five days after the police had lathi-charged people protesting the mining of black soil from the Thottappally coast, leaders of the anti-mining coordination council have been arrested.

The council's chairman, Suresh Kumar and vice-chairman, B Bhadran are among the 12 protesters who were taken into custody on Friday by the Ambalapuzha Police.

Members of the coordination council have been protesting at Thottappally for over 50 days and the other day a few of them, including Bhadran, were injured in a lathi charge after the protesters have blocked heavy-duty vehicles carrying mined soil from the coast.

Ambalappuzha DySP T Suresh Kumar told Onmanorama that the arrests were on the charges of obstructing traffic and violation of Covid protocol.

"Protesting is one thing, but these people were blocking the road and obstructing movement of vehicles," said Suresh Kumar.