Two people have died in police firing in Jharkhand's Ramgarh
Highlights
- The villagers were protesting over a power plant
- Chief Minister Raghubar Das has ordered an inquiry
- After the firing, the villagers burnt police cars and blocked highway
Two persons were killed and 40 were injured in clashes between villagers and the police in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district on Monday.
The villagers were protesting over a power plant for which they stand to lose their homes, when the violence broke out in Gola, around 53 km from Ranchi.
A large number of policemen are at the area, which remains tense after the clashes.
The police say the management of Inland Power had called the villagers for talks and when the attempts at a compromise failed, a mob threw stones and ransacked the company's factory. Policemen allegedly then fired at the crowd.
"One of the leaders of the mob had a licenced weapon. They attacked the premises of the factory and burnt down the generator...They waylaid reinforcement officers who were coming to the area. There was grave provocation and the police were forced to fire," said a senior police officer, MS Bhatia.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das has ordered an inquiry.
An injured villager said in hospital: "The police started firing at us directly. Many were shot at."
After the firing, the villagers burnt police cars and blocked the nearest highway. The situation is tense and additional forces have been rushed to the spot.