Bhopal,
Six persons were killed and several others injured on Monday in Madhya Pradesh, which was hit by widespread violence during the “Bharat bandh” called by Dalit outfits to protest against a recent Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, officials said.
The deceased included four Dalits and two upper-caste Hindus, they added.
Curfew was imposed in some areas of Gwalior city as well as in cities of Bhind and Morena districts in view of the violence witnessed during the bandh, organised to protest against the SC order of March 20, which diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Internet services have been suspended in the entire Chambal and Gwalior regions, besides the Sagar region which also saw protests, the police said.
The bandh supporters damaged a railway track, disrupting rail traffic in Morena. Inspector General (law and order) of Police Makrand Deoskar said the casualties occurred during fights between the supporters of the bandh and those opposed to it and not due to police firing.
Trouble started around 10.30 am when the protesters, carrying sticks, spilled on to the streets in the Malanpur area of Bhind district and indulged in violence, including breaking window panes of buses, the police said. The violence then spread to the other parts of the district.
Mahavir Ragawat (40), a Thakur by caste, and Akash Jatav, a Dalit, died in Bhind district. In Gwalior’s Thatipura police station area, two Dalits — Rakesh Jatav and Deepak Jatav — were killed in a gunfight between two groups. Vimal Bodh, a Dalit, died of gunshot wounds in Gwalior. Rahul Pathak, a Brahmin, was killed in Morena.
In Bhind, the Rapid Action Force was pressed into service to control the situation. Reports of violence were received from Balaghat, Sagar and Datia, where prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 were enforced.
