Kerala clash: four killed in ‘police firing’

Four persons were killed when the police opened fire to end a clash between two groups in the Cheriyathura-Beemapally coastal area on the outskirts of the city on Sunday evening.

The clashes erupted after some persons belonging to a particular community tried to extort money from a small restaurant in the area on Saturday. The extortionists,who were manhandled by the locals,returned to the area with more people and started pelting stones at shops and nearby houses. Scores were injured as the attacks continued on Sunday. The irate crowd also attacked the police and pelted stones and country bombs at them.

Soon,the police,under Commissioner A P George,opened fire to disperse a violent mob assembled at the beach. But locals alleged that police fired at the crowd without warning. While two bodies were removed to the medical college hospital,two others were kept in a house as community leaders were not handing them over to the police,demanding a judicial probe.

With the situation still tense,Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,who was in Delhi to attend the CPI(M) Politburo meeting on Monday,has rushed back to the state. Prohibitory orders have been enforced for five days and a large contingent of police was camping in the area,sources said.