Violence throws life out of gear in Patna

PATNA, Dec 11 (erreur : Dec 31 en fait) : Police burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to quell rioting mobs which indulged in widespread violence, opening fire at the police, hurling crude bombs and setting ablaze several police and private vehicles and shops during the day-long Patna Bandh today called to protest the killing of three students in an alleged police encounter.

The police resorted to bursting of teargas shells and lathicharge as Bandh supporters attacked them and set on fire a shopping complex and several police and private vehicles, Director General of Police (DGP) R R Prasad told PTI.

The agitators vent their ire on policemen holding them responsible for Saturday’s alleged encounter that left three students dead trigerring a wave of public protest, he said.

Though the Bandh evoked mixed response in the rest of the town, it drew angry reaction in Ashiana Nagar locality, where the alleged encounter took place, and which has been observing an undeclared Bandh since then, he said.

Large hordes of angry residents brandishing iron rods and lathis poured into the streets since early morning and set afire a few shops at Sammelan Market, the scene of the alleged encounter, he said.

The mob also set ablaze some police patrol vehicles and stoned their occupants injuring at least six policemen, he added.

The Bandh supporters also damaged more than a dozen vehicles at Ashiana Nagar and smashed windscreens of many others parked in front of the offices of the Hindustan Times on busy Buddha Marg, Prasad said.

Over 120 agitators have so far been arrested for vandalism, he said.

The bandh has been called by opposition BJP, Samata Party, CPI-ML(L), Lok Janshakti Party, Indian Federal Democratic Front and several students’ organisations to press for immediate arrest of the policemen involved in the incident, institution of cases under Section 302 (murder) of IPC against them, besides an ex-gratia payment of Rs ten lakh to the families of each victim. (PTI)