4 killed in Vadodara violence

Updated at 7.15 pm

VADODARA: Four persons were killed in police firing and 22 injured in Champaner Gate area following violence by people protesting against demolition of an "encroached" dargah by Vadodara Municipal Corporation on Monday morning, leading to imposition of curfew in the area, police said.

Two locals of Yakoutpura, who were part of the protestors, succumbed to bullet injuries after police opened fire at them to quell the violence and also lobbed tear gas shells, senior police officials told PTI.

The trouble started when the VMC squad started demolishing the 200-year-old dargah and locals of the area began shouting slogans and later attacked officials involved in the demolition, Vadodara city police commissioner Deepak Swarup said.

A policeman hit during the stone pelting was also among the seven injured.

"Police have intensified patrolling apart from clamping  curfew in all the sensitive areas and the situation is presently under control," Swarup said.