Dalits riot in Nagpur to protest murders Tue Nov 7, 2006 7:50 PM IST

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MUMBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of low-caste Hindus attacked police and burned vehicles in Nagpur on Tuesday in protest at the murder of four people from their community, police said.

They also tried to burn down a police post in the city, about 660 km east of Mumbai, before officers broke up the protest using canes and tear gas.

"They apparently are angry about a delay in investigations into the killings, but we smell a deeper conspiracy against police in this whole incident," S.P.S. Yadav, chief of Nagpur police, told Reuters.

Four members of a Dalit family -- at the bottom of India's caste hierarchy -- were allegedly killed by upper caste Hindus in the region more than a month ago. Dalits make up about 16 percent of India's 1.1 billion population.