Blank firing at Rangiya to stop rampaging mob, 22 injured

Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported from Mazbat, Sipajhar, Dhubri, Jagiroad and Samoguri seats, official sources said.

In the biggest incident at Rangiya constituency of Kamrup (Rural) district, seven persons including three women, were initially injured as BSF men started beating up some people at polling stations 53 to 56 in 72 Udayana L P School centre following rumour that rigging was taking place.

This infuriated people as a mob soon gathered, pelted stones, ransacked the polling booths, set ablaze one parked police vehicle and damaged three others, the sources said.

Police then baton charged the crowd and fired in the air but people refused to budge demanding that the BSF men remove their uniform and apologise to the public, sources said.

As the police fired in the air for the second time to scare away the protesters, 15 persons tripped while running away from the spot with one referred to the G M C Hospital.

Polling was stopped in the voting centre and election officials left with the EVMs and polling materials, they said.

The three BSF personnel were seen taken away by district Superintendent of Police Apurba Jiban Barua with their hands tied with a cloth.