Villagers who gave their land for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port project staged a protest mid-sea and blocked the movement of ships at the port in Navi Mumbai, police said on Sunday. The police registered an offence under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code against some 60 unidentified men and women who protested mid-sea and blocked the movement of ships in JNPT on Saturday, an official from Nhava Sheva police station said.

Villagers from Hanuman Koliwada used a boat to block the channel for incoming and outgoing ships and obstructed the shipping lanes, he said, adding that no arrests have been made so far. Sarpanch of Hanuman Koliwada village Parmanand Koli said the people whose land was acquired for the port project have been demanding proper compensation for the last 38 years, and the protest was staged as there was no resolution in sight.