One injured in police firing

Nagpur, Nov 14 (UNI) At least one person was wounded when police today opened fire to disperse a violent mob which torched vehicles, ransacked homes and offices in the vicinity of District Collector's office at Amarvati, about 150 kms from here, police sources said.

The protestors had marched to the Collector's office, demanding a CBI inquiry into the killing of four members of a Dalit family at Khairlanji village on September 30.

Commissioner of Police S Jagan Nath said police fired two rounds when the agitators went on a rampage in and around the office of the Collector, adding one Nishikant, who suffered a bullet wound in his feet, was hospitalised. He said another person, who fell unconscious during the mob violence, too, was admitted in a Amarvati hospital.

However, sources said police fired several rounds into the air in a bid to quell violence after tear-gassing and lathicharge failed.

The Police Commissioner said 13 police personnel, including ACP Prabhakar Rahane and Inspector Kiran Dhote, were hurt in stone-pelting by the mob. He said two firemen were also injured in the violence. The firemen were requistioned to douse flaming vehicles, including a police jeep and a water tanker. Several two-wheelers parked in the vicinity of the Collector's office were also torched by the mob, which stormed offices and homes in the area, damaging furniture and fixtures.

The police resorted to firing after bursting of teargas shells and lathi-charge failed to quell the violence, that left many people, including police personnel, wounded, the sources added.

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