Police shoots down youth ''accidently''

Bhiwani, Nov 3 (UNI) A motorbike borne college student was shot dead in ''accidental firing'' while Hisar police gave him a hot chase on a bumpy road, mistaking him as a notorious criminal near Dabar colony in Bhiwani last night.

Describing the incident, which triggered off massive public protests in the area, as ''an accident'' , SP Hisar Anil Rao said that the 18-year-old youth Kuldip, was killed when the gun weilded by constable Karamvir got triggered off due to the undulating terrain through which the victim and his three friends had tried to escape despite being warned to stop.

Calling the incident ''unfortunate'', the SP said Bhiwani police has arrested Karamvir and registered a case under section 302 and 34 against eight members of police, including SHO Krishan Kumar, who was heading the chase party.

An inquiry into the incident has been ordered, he said.

According to Mr Rao, the police team from Hisar, on a tip off, had cordoned off the area near village Haluwas to nab a wanted bank robber Dara when around 0030 hrs, the group of four motorbike-borne youths, apparently drunk, sped off despite being signalled to stop.

The armed police party, on a jeep, chased them when due to the ''bad condition of the road the trigger got pressed and the bullet hit one of the riders of the mobike, later indentified as Kuldip Singh,'' the SP said.

The boys were returning home after attending a marriage party and the incident sparked off massive public protests in Bhiwani where rampaging mobs, most of them angry students, set ablaze police vehicles and damaged public property.

The body of the deceased, student of BA Final year, Vaish College, was handed over to his family and cremated this afternoon in the presence of heavy police force.

The shopkeepers of the area kept their shops closed till noon.

Chief Parliament Secretary Dharamvir Singh, while expressing shock and grief over the death of the boy, said that ex-gratia amounting to Rs 7 lakh would be paid to the bereaved family and a government job would be given to one member of the family.

UNI XC-JN BP1711