Jan 14 2003

Police have fired tear gas to disperse rioting mobs who set fire to nearly 70 shops in an Indian town.

The riots started after Muslim butchers slaughtered eight cows, which are sacred to Hindus.

Armed police separated the rival groups and imposed a ban on the assembly of more than five people in Ganj Basoda, 50 miles from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state.