However, the district superintendent of police Ajay Tomar denied any trouble on Wednesday morning except a few minor skirmishes. He said the state reserve police jawans posted at the plant had soon brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the body of the worker whose death sparked the riots was on Tuesday night handed over to relatives.

Trouble started late on Tuesday night when police fired eight rounds and lobbed six tear-gas shells at a 1,500 strong mob of rioting workers trying to prevent work due to the death, on Monday, of one labourer Vinod Yadav by falling from a water tank.

``On Tuesday, the striking workers tried to prevent the other workers from beginning work and there was heavy stone-throwing from each side. Whenpolicemen moved in they were stoned, upon which they lathi-charged the workers,'' Tomar said.

``Later, when it appeared that the rioting may go out of control, we burst tear-gas shells and fired eight rounds but did not cause injury to anyone. We detained some workers for an hour or so and then pushed back the protestors into their rooms,'' he said.

The workers had rioted, reportedly, demanding that the body be handed over to the family immediately. Apparently, the workers were afraid that the management would have the body cremated to prevent an inquiry into the mishap.

In the last two days, rioting workers have damaged several vehicles and equipment at the plant. Sources said more than 100 vehicles were burnt. A dozen sophisticated cranes were damaged, including a Rs 4 crore crane of 850 tonne capacity, one of its kind in Asia.

Both police and Reliance officials are pointing fingers at miscreants who are trying to create trouble at the plant by spreading rumours.

Sources in the police said thesituation was tense, and that the ``smallest cinder could set off a riot''.

Another police officer reinforces the stand: ``The scene is very scary here. There is 30 sq kms of the plant and a 75,000-strong workforce which is incensed over the death of a fellow worker. The police force is small and so additional SRP battalions had to summoned.''

One battalion of SRP jawans is still stationed at labour camp 1 where the situation is very tense. Police justified that the presence of heavily armed jawans was necessary after two days of violence, including group clashes and those with the police. Tomar said that the current security levels would be maintained till the situation eased off.