One killed, dozens injured in Agra mob fury

At least one person was killed, dozens injured and curfew imposed in several areas of Agra as angry mobs burnt several vehicles and clashed with police after four youths, part of a Muslim festive procession, were mowed down by a speeding truck.

Curfew was clamped in five areas of the city of the Taj Mahal and residents have been asked to stay indoors after dozens of people were injured in the mob-police clashes.

At around 4 a.m., four youths were crushed by a speeding truck on M.G. Road, considered the lifeline of the city, while Shab-e-barat was being celebrated.

Angry protesters followed the truck to Sadar area and set it on fire. Nearly a dozen trucks and a fire tender that rushed to the spot were also burnt on M.G. Road.

Soon after, a group of Muslim leaders rushed to the police station at Nai Ki Mandi to protest the killing. The protests turned violent when some people started throwing stones at the cops.

The situation went out of hand when the crowd swelled and attacked the police station. The police started a baton charge and fired tear gas shells but the stone pelting continued.

Within a short time, what started as a small clash between the protestors and police snowballed into a full-fledged riot with shops, vehicles and a small factory being set on fire.

Additional District Magistrate Rajeev Rautela and Senior Superintendent of Police Hari Ram Sharma were injured in the violence.

Police and paramilitary forces were rushed to the area, considered communally sensitive. A police official said a small mosque in the Nai ki Mandi area had also been damaged.

Divisional Commissioner S.R. Meena later told reporters that the situation had been brought under control and that the "fires had been extinguished".

Dozens of people injured in the crossfire and stone pelting have been admitted to the SN Medical College here.

District Magistrate Mukesh Meshram appealed to people to help in restoring peace. Political leaders, including Sushil Goyal of the state's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Sumit Vibhav of the Congress and Samajwadi Party's Raisuddin rushed to the scene and appealed to people to maintain communal harmony.

(IANS)

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