January 1, 2003	Wednesday	Shawwal 27, 1423

PATNA, Dec 31: At least 50 people, including officials, were injured and 500 arrested on Tuesday as thousands of students staged a protest in this eastern Indian city against the alleged killing of three people by police, officials said.

The violence erupted after opposition parties and youth organizations called a general strike over the killing of three youths in a police encounter on Saturday night.

Police said a 1,000-strong force exchanged gunshots with the crowd, adding the firing from their own side was only aerial.

They also used teargas shells, water cannons and canes to control the mob which torched three police posts, set fire to a dozen government and private vehicles and a market.

The crowd set fire to wooden logs, tyres, vehicles and shops.

Evening rains doused the anger of the crowd which had swelled to the thousands.

Police had since Tuesday morning turned the city into a garrison.

“The situation is tense but not out of control as we have requisitioned a sufficient police force to control the crowd,” a senior official said.

Defending Saturday’s action against the three men, police said they opened fire “during an encounter with robbers” but deny they acted illegally.

The victims’ families, however, allege police shot them in “cold-blood” during a “fake encounter”.

“500 people have been arrested for arson and violence,” said a police spokesman.

“The entire state capital has been made a hostage by the irate mob,” added a junior police official.

According to the family of those killed in the alleged encounter, the young men had had an argument with the owner of a telephone booth, who called the police.

The police beat the men unconscious and shot them at point-blank range, the families claim.

The state government has ordered an inquiry, while the five policemen involved in the killings have been suspended, said the police spokesman.—AFP