Curfew has been clamped on Pharenda town in Maharajganj district, around 350 km from the state capital, where three persons were killed in a police firing today and over a dozen, including police officials, injured.Additional forces, including the Rapid Action Force, have been deployed in the area. All senior officials of the division are camping here to prevent further violence.Trouble broke out when the police insisted the body of a student leader, shot dead by three persons in Campereganj on December 19, be cremated immediately. Local residents and students opposed the move, demanding those named in the FIR be arrested first.The angry demonstrators beat up the local police station in-charge, set fire to six coaches of a passenger train and damaged nearly six government vehicles during the melee which lasted for several hours.The supporters of student leader, Santosh Kumar Jaiswal, had been demanding the arrest of the three persons named in the FIR since yesterday. They had also asked for the transfer of the local police station in-charge. The OC was transferred by the local administration to bring down the tension in the area but the move failed to appease the students. This morning, thousands gathered at the residence of the slain student leader.‘‘The police insisted that the body be cremated immediately but students demanded the killers be arrested and a scuffle ensued,’’ said local journalist Brij Mishra. When a passenger train halted in the area, the crowd forced the passengers to come out of the train before setting it on fire, he added. ‘‘The police had to lob tear gas shells and resort to firing,’’ said Home Secretary Deepti Vilas.
