Even as the VHP-BJP’s nationwide bandh over the Amarnath land issue affected normal life in parts of the country, Indore was worst hit, with at least three persons being killed in the violence. Curfew was imposed in four police station areas of the BJP-ruled state’s commercial capital. Unofficial sources put the total toll at four.

The trouble began in Muslim-dominated Khajrana locality, where local shopkeepers resisted the attempts of the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists to enforce the bandh. According to eyewitnesses, the activists returned with policemen, who allegedly forced the shopkeepers to down shutters. The locals refused to fall in line and reportedly stoned the police, who later returned with more personnel.

Two persons were shot dead in the violence that followed, not far from the Khajrana Police Station which was also stoned. Two more deaths, one unconfirmed, took place in Khajrana village.

IG (law and order) Sanjeev Singh confirmed that three persons — Mahboob, Anwar and Khemraj Makhija — were killed in Indore. He said it was not clear if they were killed in police firing or by bullets fired from private arms, adding that a post-mortem would throw light on the nature of injuries. Singh said he was yet to get confirmation about the fourth victim.

Curfew was imposed in Khajrana, Pandhrinath, Chhatripura and Malharganj police stations. The bandh was near total in other areas as activists of Hindu organisations moved around, unchallenged, with the police making no attempts to stop them.

Several persons, including some policemen, were injured as violence broke out in Mukeripura and Bombay Bazar. An additional force of 1,000 police personnel was rushed to Indore in the wake of the clashes. A Reliance Fresh outlet was among several other properties that was targeted.

... contd.