15 September,2011 09:18 AM IST | | Agencies
Tension gripped Rajasthan's Bharatpur district Wednesday after at least five people were killed in an armed clash that also left 10 injured, mostly with gunshot wounds, police said.
The clash took place in Gopalgarh area of the district, some 170 km from here.
"There was a dispute about a piece of public land in the village. The land was being claimed for a burial centre by one group while the opposing group wanted it for constructing a pond," a senior police officer told IANS.
A public meeting was held Wednesday in which people from both groups took part. "During the meeting, things went wrong and violence erupted," the officer said.
Bullets were fired from both sides despite a police team already being deployed there keeping in view the tense situation.
As the situation went out of control, the administration ordered use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Heavy police force and battalions of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary have been deployed in the village.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met senior administration and police officials Wednesday evening to assess the situation.
