Violence in Punjab, Haryana after Vienna clash

Jalandhar/Ambala: Violence sparked by the killing of a Dera leader spread to more parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday as protestors resorted to largescale arson, prompting authorities to call out the army in Jalandhar city and neighbouring areas and imposing indefinite curfew there.

One person was killed and four others injured as army personnel opened fire in Lambra village, about 30 kms from Jalandhar, police said. Earlier, protestors had attacked the convoy of IG (zonal) Sanjeev Kalra and set afire the vehicle of SP (city-II) Sarabjeet Singh in the village, police said.

Security men guarding Kalra opened 20 rounds of fire when the convoy was attacked, they said.

Violence spread to several parts of Punjab and Ambala in Haryana with arsonists setting fire to four bogies of Jammu Tawi-Kanyakumari Express at Jalandhar cantonment station, besides damaging bogies of a train in Phagwara.

Some buses were also damaged in Patiala by the attackers who also blocked the National Highway No 1 in Ambala as tension spread in the wake of the attack on the head of a Dera sect in a gurudwara in Vienna on Sunday.

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A mob attacked Maqsudan police station in Jalandhar district and burnt several vehicles parked in the premises after which policemen used batons to disperse the agitators.

"Curfew in the entire Jalandhar district has been extended for an indefinite period and five columns of army (containing 75 personnel each) have been deployed to control the violence", A S Pannu, Deputy Commissioner said.

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