MP Dalit stir: Death toll rises to 8, one killed in police firing

Bhopal: The death toll in the violence that broke out during Dalit protests in Madhya Pradesh rose to eight with two more persons succumbing to injuries, officials said today.

Meanwhile, the police today admitted that one person, who died yesterday, fell victim to police bullets.

Two policemen have been booked in connection with the death of a person in police firing, an official said.

Yesterday, a senior police official had claimed that the casualties occurred during clashes between the supporters of the "Bharat bandh", called by Dalit outfits, and those opposed to it and not due to police firing.

However, Bhind Superintendent of Police (SP) Prashant Khare today said Mahavir Rajawat (40), who died yesterday, fell victim to police bullets.

Besides, two more deaths were reported today, taking the toll in the violence to eight.

One person, identified as Pradeep Jatav, succumbed to bullet injuries sustained in clashes between the supporters of the bandh and those opposed to it late last night in Bhind district, Collector Ilayaraja T told PTI.

Besides, the body of a man, identified as Jasrath alias Darshan Singh, was found from an agriculture field in the Machhand area of Bhind this morning, he said.

"I spoke to the doctor at the hospital, where his post-mortem will be conducted. The doctor told me that Singh possibly died due to an axe injury on his head," the collector said.

Khare said two policemen, Hawaldar Ramkumar Dohre and Constable Sultan Rathore, who were deployed at the Machhand police station yesterday, were booked under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) in connection with Rajawat's death.

Police bullets were found in Rajawat's body during the preliminary post-mortem, he added.

A probe was on to ascertain the circumstances under which the police had fired at Rajawat, the SP said.

The eight deceased included six Dalits and two upper-castes Hindus, police officials said.

Four deaths were reported from Bhind, three from Gwalior and one from Morena district.

Curfew was still in force in some areas of Gwalior, Bhind and Morena districts in view of the violence witnessed during the bandh, which was organised to protest a recent Supreme Court order that allegedly diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said.