Nagpur: Police stop Dalits from holding march

The police on Sunday foiled an attempt by Dalit organisations to take out a 'long march' to protest the killing of four members of the community and detained some activists.

The groups were planning to take out the march from the Dr Ambedkar statue near RBI square.

"We detained, as a precautionary measure, some Dalit activists who had come from far-off places and gathered around the statue because the police commissioner had denied permission for the march," Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police Suresh Makela told PTI.

Police made elobarate security arrangements and companies of paramilitary forces were deployed around the venue and in sensitive places in the northern part of the city, which recently saw large-scale violence over the Dalit killings.

The march was planned to protest the killings of four members of a Dalit family in Khairlanji village in Bhandara district in September.

Besides the city, nearby Kamptee township and adjoining Yavatmal district had witnessed violent protests by Dalits over the incident that is being probed by the state CID.

On Saturday night, police detained the main organiser of the march and some activists in Dhantoli area.