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Tension over death of Jat youths subsides

Special Correspondent

Bodies of firing victims handed over to relatives

JAIPUR: Tension over the death of two Jat youths in a broad daylight firing incident at Didwana in Nagaur district of Rajasthan on Tuesday subsided with their bodies being handed over to the next of kin after post-mortem at Sawai Man Singh Hospital here on Thursday. Two police officers have been suspended in this regard.

Five youngsters of the Jat community were injured in indiscriminate firing by a group of assailants who arrived in the main market in Didwana in a jeep. The injured were rushed to SMS Hospital here, where two of them -- Jeevan Ram and Harphool -- died late on Tuesday night.

With the State Government describing the firing incident as gang war, the relatives of the deceased refused to take the bodies back home and demanded compensation and action against police officers for their alleged negligence. The involvement of Rajasthan Jat Mahasabha in the agitation heightened tension.

While the initial rounds of talks of Jat leaders with Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria and other Government representatives failed, Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, B.D. Kalla and several MLAs visited the injured in the hospital. Tension prevailed in Didwana on Wednesday with the people of the town observing a complete bandh. Many leaders of the Jat community left for Jaipur to stage a dharna at SMS Hospital.

The agitationists, led by Jat Mahasabha president Rajaram Meel, agreed to receive the bodies of the deceased on Thursday after the State Government announced suspension of Didwana Deputy Superintendent of Police, Laxmandas Swami, and the officer in-charge of the police station, Rafiq Ahmed, on charges of dereliction of duty.

The Home Minister, Mr. Kataria, also announced that the Divisional Commissioner would probe the firing incident. However, no decision has been taken on the demand for compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs for the next of kin of each deceased.

The Nagaur police station in-charge has been transferred amid allegations by relatives of the victims that the assailants had `good relations' with two Ministers.

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