Date:09/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/09/stories/2006120919241700.htm

National

1 killed in police firing on farmers

Yavatmal (Maharashtra) : One person died and six others, including a girl and a constable, were injured when the police opened fire to disperse violent cotton growers at the monopoly procurement centre at Wani in this district on Friday.

Twenty others were injured in a stampede that followed the firing.

A group of cultivators became agitated, not being able to dispose of cotton because of the ``adamant'' attitude of a grader.

The cultivators locked over 22 persons, including policemen and federation employees in the office room.

The police claimed that they opened fire to release the captives. They fired a second time to disperse a violent mob of farmers who began throwing stones. The dead has been identified as Dinesh Gugul. — PTI