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Police firing kills 2 in India in food riots

By MANIK BANERJEE,
AP
Posted: 2007-10-04 08:02:32
CALCUTTA, India (AP) - Police opened fire after they were attacked by angry villagers protesting the lack of affordable food at government-run shops for the poor, killing one person, police said Thursday.

Several police were injured by rocks hurled by the protesters during Wednesday's violence in Burdwan district, said Piyush Pandey, the superintendent of police.

The area is nearly 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal state.

The violence erupted after some villagers ransacked the home of Bipad Taran Mondal, who runs one of the government shops, demanding compensation because they had not received their full monthly quota of rice, wheat and other food, Pandey told The Associated Press.

The protesters also burned some police vehicles and shops in the area, he said.

"We had to fire six rounds (bullets) after a cane charge failed to disperse the mob," Pandey said. A 35-year-old villager was killed.

Villagers complain that unscrupulous traders running the shops sell food at higher prices to nongovernment shops in the area and pocket the profits.

Wednesday's firing was the third incident in West Bengal state this week following a series of protests.

One protester was killed on Monday in Labhpur area of Birbhum district, Pandey said.

Homes of six food dealers were set ablaze and their families attacked in Mayureswar and Kirnahar villages earlier this week in Birbhum district, nearly 250 kilometers (160 miles) Calcutta, police said.

One police jeep and several motorbikes were burned by a mob of over 2,000 villagers during Monday's protest, said Raj Kanojia, a state inspector-general of police.

There was no fresh violence on Thursday, except for an incident in Birbhum district where the protesters tried to ransack a government-run shop, Kanojia said. Nine people were arrested.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
10/04/07 08:01 EDT
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