The Hindu : Front Page : 2 more Gujjars killed in firing

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2 more Gujjars killed in firing

Sunny Sebastian

Constable attacked by protesters seriously injured; death toll in violence 39

No breakthrough in disposal of bodies
“We have no confidence in CM’s leadership”

JAIPUR: Violence claimed two more lives in Rajasthan on Friday when the police opened fire to quell a mob of Gujjar protesters blocking the inter-State Sheopur road at Kushalipura Darra, 6 km from Sawai Madhopur, even as the impasse over the disposal of bodies of the victims of last week’s firing continued.

This was the third incident of police firing in the State in the past eight days in the wake of the Gujjars’ agitation for Scheduled Tribe status. The death toll in the violence has gone up to 39.

Sawai Madhopur SP Jose Mohan said the police resorted to firing after a 500-strong mob, which had put up a road blockade, tried to drag away a policeman. Lathi charge and bursting of tear-gas shells did not have any impact on the crowd, which had surrounded the police forces. Dayaram Meghwal, the constable who became the target of the mob fury, was brought to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital here with series injuries.

The bodies of the two firing victims are now in the village, but authorities fear that they too would be brought to the site of t he firing as was done at Pilupura and Sikandra.

There was no breakthrough in the case of the 12 bodies waiting for disposal on the Delhi-Mumbai railway line at Pilupura in Bayana tehsil. Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla is among the thousands keeping round-the-clock vigil near the bodies there. The retired Colonel Bainsla failed to appear before the Rajasthan High Court on Friday on a contempt petition filed by the State government. The Gujjar leaders who met here said they had no confidence in the leadership of Ms. Raje and sought intervention from the Central leadership of the BJP.

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