Toll rises to 2 in curfew-bound MP town

Indore, Nov 13 (UNI) The communal violence toll went up to two today at this district's curfew-bound Sanver town with the death, at a local hospital, of a youth who had sustained a gunshot wound to the head.

''The body of another youth, who died (in hospital) yesterday, was sent to Ujjain district's Badnagar,'' said Inspector-General Rajendra Kumar. The administration is alert vis-a-vis the first youth's funeral. Legislator Premchand Guddu, District Congress President Hemant Pal and District Panchayat President Yogita Chaudhry were among a dozen Congress members arrested while heading for the funeral at Sanver.

''They were first stopped but when they refused to pay heed, the arrests were executed. They were freed in the evening,'' Superintendent of Police Anshuman Yadav said.

''The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's supporter organisations are orchestrating chaos as the BJP is apprehensive of defeat in the (December 12) Sanver assembly bypoll. A Congress delegation will soon meet Governor Balram Jakhar and inform him about the disturbances,'' Mr Guddu said in a statement.

Tension prevailed yesterday morning at the town, 35 km from here, following a dispute at a tea stall. Curfew was clamped after a sword-wielding group attacked three persons in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, the youth was shot at. Three others, including a woman, are hospitalised.

''Both sides lodged complaints. The situation is under control,'' Mr Kumar added.

UNI