A protest over the alleged gangrape and murder of a tribal woman in Madhya Pradesh turned violent last night with the protesters attacking a police station, officials have said.
13 policemen, including an inspector, were injured after the protesters threw stones at them and vandalised the police vehicles at Badgonda police station in Indore's Mhow, they said.
The 23-year-old woman was found dead at a village house last evening following which her family members and various tribal groups protested outside the police station keeping her body on the road.
Her family has alleged she was abducted, raped and murdered by a man from the Patidar community in their village.
The woman was living and studying at Dhamnod for the last few years.
"Yadunandan Patidar abducted my daughter from Dhamnod and killed her after the gangrape in our village," the woman's father said.
Police fired about a dozen rounds in the air and used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd after the protest turned violent, police station in-charge Dharmendra Thakur said.
Sources say a tribal man was also killed in the firing.
State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the matter and investigation is on.
He also met the family members of the victim this morning.
Launching a fierce attack on the ruling BJP, Congress state president Kamal Nath said, "I'm saddened by the gangrape and murder of a tribal women in Mhow and the subsequent death of a tribal youth in police firing. This speaks about the prevalent jungle Raj in the state."
"Heavy security has been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident," Mr Thakur said.
