JOIN USMembers of the Gujjar and Meo communities clashed in Bharatpur district Wednesday over a piece of land, with one group claiming that it was for a burial centre and the other that it was for a pond. The clash killed four people on the spot and left over 20 injured.
Expecting the toll to go higher, the administration had launched a search operation in the area.
“During search operations, three bodies were found late Thursday in a well near a mosque in Gopalgarh where the violence took place,” a police officer told IANS.
The victims have not yet been identified. Informed sources said that autopsy reports of the some of the victims have revealed that they died due to gun-fire opened by police.
Some NGOs are planning to hold demonstrations here, demanding action against the police and administration officials who ordered the firing.
The Rajasthan government Thursday evening ordered a committee headed by senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer V.S. Singh to probe the incident.
“The committee will probe whether there was any negligence on the part of police and the administration, and whether they failed to assess the gravity of the situation,” a senior administrative officer said.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also ordered a committee headed by senior leader Digambar Singh to probe the role of administration and the police.
The government has announced compensation of Rs.5 lakh each to the families of those killed.
Tension persisted in Bharatpur district Friday. Curfew continued in Gopalgarh and nearby areas in the district, about 170 km from here. Prohibitory orders banning any gathering of five or more people have been enforced by the district administration to contain the tension.