Kasaragod (Kerala) | Tension prevailed at a village on National Highway 66 as a large crowd vandalised a newly established toll plaza late Wednesday night.

The incident occurred amid ongoing protests against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for allegedly violating distance norms, police said here.

The toll gate, located on the Kasaragod–Talapadi stretch, began operations last Monday under heavy police protection.

However, locals and an Action Committee, led by AKM Ashraf MLA, have been staging an indefinite protest at the site since Tuesday.

They argue that the toll plaza is located only 22 km away from the Talapadi plaza, allegedly contradicting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s reported assurance that toll booths would maintain a minimum distance of 60 km.

The situation turned volatile around 8.30 pm, when a section of the crowd gathered at the protest site attacked the booths.

Protesters allegedly smashed glass panels and damaged CCTV cameras.

Although a large police contingent was present, the sudden unrest led to a brief traffic snarl on the highway.

The violence followed a failed mediation talk convened by the District Collector, which included NHAI officials and local MLAs.

Kumbla Police said they are investigating the case.