3 killed in police firing

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW, SEPT. 27. Three persons were killed and two injured when police opened fire on a violent mob protesting against the arrest of three activists of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in old Lucknow today. This followed a ban on the organisation by the Centre today.

Authorities hurriedly imposed curfew in four police station areas of the walled city to prevent escalation of violence.

According to the Principal Home Secretary, Mr. Naresh Dayal, police had arrested the SIMI activists on specific charges. While they were being taken to the police station a mob collected near Akbari Gate area and clashed with the police team. Police personnel were subjected to heavy brickbatting and a group of protesters forced shopkeepers to down shutters.

As the situation went out of control, police resorted to firing in which three persons were killed. The arrested SIMI activists however managed to escape taking advantage of the confusion.

Elsewhere in the State, 64 SIMI activists were arrested following the ban on the organisation. However, barring some protests by a group of people in Varanasi no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

In Lucknow, the situation was described as tense but under control.

Digvijay hails ban

PTI reports from New Delhi:

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh, has welcomed the ban but demanded similar action against the Bajrang Dal saying fundamentalism was reprehensible in any garb.

Mr. Singh alleged that the Bajrang Dal was ``directly responsible for creating institutions like SIMI by instilling fear among the minority community by its acts such as training women to wield arms through Durga Vahini.''

``Fundamentalism breeds terrorism, which in any form is anti- national,'' he said.

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