Five people have been killed in Bangalore as the news of the death of veteran Indian actor Rajkumar caused riots in the city.

Millions of fans gathered at the Kanteerva film studio in Bangalore to bid farewell to their idol, Rajkumar, as his remains were laid to rest yesterday. However things turned ugly when some groups of fans were angered over the restriction on access to Rajkumar's body and began to riot.

A spate of violence broke out as rampaging fans battled with police and claimed at least two lives, including that of a constable.

One fan, Muniraju, suffered bullet injuries in a firing incident near the stadium and died later at the Nimhans hospital. The victim was hit by two bullets when the police opened fire upon the unruly mob in self-defence, according to police commissioner Gopal Hosur.

The city came to a grinding halt for most of the day, with all establishments including hundreds of IT firms shutting down as a mark of respect for the beloved actor.

Big-ticket companies like Infosys and Wipro directed their employees to stay put at home and avoid commuting to their workplace in the electronics city on the outskirts of Bangalore in the absence of public transport and an undeclared shutdown.