NEW DELHI, July 3: Ten people were shot dead and six others injured in the Indian state of Bihar, police said on Saturday.

Militia raided Chakwai village in the state's Nawda district late Friday night and fired indiscriminately at members of an another caste, New Delhi Television reported.

In many parts of India, caste and religion play a more important role in people's lives than the laws of the land.

Police claimed Friday night's attack was in retaliation for the murder of two children the same morning.

Angry villagers refused to let police take the bodies for post-mortems, demanding compensation of one million rupees (22,000 U.S. dollars) and government jobs for the families of each victim. Such caste clashes are common in Bihar, which ranks among India's least developed states.-dpa