Altogether 19 policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured in mob violence in Bihar's East Champaran district on Sunday following the alleged murder of a youth in an ex-armyman's house.
East Champaran deputy superintendent of police Md Mukim said trouble was sparked off after news spread about the recovery of a 20 year-old youth's body from an ex-armyman's house at Makhiyahih village in the district.
A mob, suspecting that the ex-armyman and some of his neighbours were involved in the killing of the youth, gathered in front of the house and set it on fire after locking the family members inside.
Police rushed to the spot and rescued the ex armyman's family but not before three of them received burn injuries.
Mukim said the mob also attacked a neighbour's house and ransacked it, beat him up and his son.
They also set on fire five motorcycles near the house.
The mob indulged in similar arson at the house of a retired policeman and set ablaze a vehicle besides injuring his two sons.
As police tried to bring the situation under control, the mob threw stones and even fired on them forcing the security personnel to fire several rounds in the air, Mukim said, adding, a deputy superintendent of police S. K. Saroj and about 18 policemen were injured.
District magistrate Abhijit Sinha and superintendent of police Ganesh Kumar rushed to the spot with police reinforcement and brought the situation under control, he said.
Nine persons have been detained in connection with the mob violence and additional policemen have been deployed as a precautionary measure.
The situation in the village was now under control and the youth's body has been recovered and sent for post mortem, he added.