1 dead in violent clashes in Jaipur, curfew in parts of city

Jaipur : One person was killed when police opened fire on a mob after it went on a rampage, setting ablaze a power house and several vehicles, following an alleged assault of a couple by a constable in Ramganj area of the city, the police said today.

Curfew was imposed in four police station areas of the city to bring the situation under control, a senior police official said, adding that internet services were also suspended and schools in the curfew-laden areas have been closed.

“A petty dispute between a police constable and a motorcycle-borne couple late last night led to clashes between the locals and the police, following which the curfew was imposed around 1 AM in Ramganj area, where the violence broke out,” Jaipur Police Commissioner Sanjay Agarwal said.

It is alleged that the constable had assaulted the couple over some issue, following which a mob of locals gathered around the Ramganj police station and indulged in arson, setting ablaze five vehicles, including an ambulance and a police jeep, and damaged 21 others, he said. Police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the mob.

When the situation went out of control, police opened fire on the agitators in which one person, identified as Mohammed Raees, was killed, Agarwal said. The Delhi-Agra route through Jaipur has also been diverted. Security forces, including Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) and home guard jawans, have been deployed in the violence-hit areas, the commissioner said.