Madhya Pradesh: Protest over cook's death turns violent, cop injured in stone hurling

Morena (MP), Dec 3: Enraged over the death of a cook, who was allegedly set afire by a hotel owner recently, local residents of a community held a violent protest outside the Collectorate here in which a head constable was injured, police said.

The protesters hurled stones following which police fired in air and lobbed teargas shells to disperse them. The mob also damaged two police vehicles, Morena Superintendent of Police Navneet Bhasin said.

The deceased, identified as Girraj Rajak (45), worked as a head cook at a local hotel. He was allegedly beaten and set afire on November 27 after being doused in kerosene by hotel manager Tulsiram when he demanded his balance wages. Soon after the incident, police arrested the hotel manager under charges of attempt to murder, the SP said.

Rajak was shifted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital for treatment where he died yesterday, he said. The community members today took the body for last rites and despite agreeing not to cause any trouble, they created ruckus at the Collectorate gate by placing the body on road and throwing stones while demanding that a case of murder be registered against the hotel owner.

They also damaged two police vehicles after which police fired in air and lobbed teargas shells to control the situation, the SP said. The violence resulted in tension in the area following which shop owners downed their shutters. In the violence, head constable Ramavtar Kushwaha was injured and admitted in district hospital here for treatment.

Police force was deployed in the town to monitor the situation.

The community members later took the body for performing last rites, the SP said, adding that cases would be registered against those who indulged in violence.

PTI