One killed in police firing in Ahmedabad

An autorickshaw driver was killed and five were wounded when police opened fire to quell rioters at Haripura, near the civil hospital, under the Shahibag police station in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

The police said that the injured had been admitted to the civil hospital.

Incidents of stone-throwing were also reported from the labour-dominated localities of Rakhial and Naroda, where police lobbed teargas shells to quell a mob which had gathered to protest against the desecration of a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar statue in Bombay on July 12.

The situation in Mehsana, Kalol and Khedbrahma towns in north Gujarat was tense. Mehsana town observed a bandh which passed off peacefully, barring a few stray incidents.

In another incident, an irate mob attacked homes in Ahmedabad's Amraiwadi area. The police fired 50 rounds and burst 200 teargas shells to quell the mob.

The police fired about 85 rounds and burst about 1000 teargas shells on Thursday in Ahmedabad city to disperse mobs and maintain law and order.

Disturbance had broken out on Wednesday in Ahmedabad and elsewhere in Saurashtra, north Gujarat and the Kutch regions following the call for a Gujarat bandh by different dalit organisations. The bandh called in protest against the desecration of the Ambedkar statue in Bombay was supported by the ruling Mahagujarat Janata Party and the Congress.

Earlier, the authorities had lifted curfew in all the localities where it had bee imposed in Ahmedabad and Morvi town in Saurashtra and Gandhidham town in Kutch district at 0630 hours IST on Thursday.

However, curfew remained in force in the Chandkheda area in Gandhinagar district. The police rounded up about 400 people in the city, while 37 people were injured either in police firing or teargas shelling.

UNI