News Detail

• The victims of Bhopal gas tragedy on Saturday resorted to violence for the first time in the 27-year history of the agitation. The clashes were initiated by rail rook agitationists at Barkehdi railway crossing in Aishbagh about 12:15 pm and continued till about 4 pm. Police resorted to lathicharge, tear gas shelling and even firing in the air to disperse the agitating mob. A total of 60 people were injured in the incident. The injured included police officials, journalists and gas victims. The protesters numbered in thousands and were predominantly from the Walled City. Daud (17), a young resident of Jahangirabad, was hurt in the police firing. He was admitted to hospital.
• Daud received serious injuries to his left hand, family sources said. Three cars and half-a-dozen two wheelers were set ablaze by the mob. The protesters, who were demanding revised death and injury figures from the Government and compensation for the victims, also torched two fire brigade vehicles. The Bhopal-Nagpur railway route was blocked about 10.30 pm as about 500 gas victims including women sat on the railway tracks. After about an hour, police tried to disperse the mob from the tracks but the protesters refused to budge. Police tried to pacify the mob but it turned violent within minutes. The mob turned more violent when police dragged a few elderly women off the tracks. Ten minutes after this incident, nearly 3,000 people started hurling stones on the police and police opened retaliatory fire in which a 13-year-old boy was injured.

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