Tensions escalated in Bhoma on Sunday as villagers staged a road blockade and lodged a police complaint against a contractor's site in-charge over alleged verbal abuse during a confrontation over soil testing on unacquired land.

The protest began after residents noticed soil testing being carried out in an area that, according to them, has not been acquired for the project. Questioning the legality of the exercise, villagers, along with the Sarpanch and Panch members, gathered at the site demanding an explanation from the contractor and authorities.

The situation turned tense during the exchange when the contractor's site in-charge allegedly referred to the villagers as "Pakistanis", a remark that sparked outrage and further inflamed tempers.

As the confrontation intensified, residents blocked the road, demanding an immediate halt to the work, clarity on the purpose of the soil testing, and action against the site in-charge for the alleged derogatory remarks.

A police complaint has since been filed by the villagers. They have urged the authorities to investigate both the alleged misconduct by the contractor's representative and the legality of carrying out soil testing on land that has not yet been acquired.