BATHINDA: Police resorted to firing in the air when an agitated crowd pelted them with stones and bricks following a scuffle between villagers and liquor vend employees in Selverah village of Bathinda on Sunday. The clash left over a dozen persons, including three cops, injured. Angry villagers, who have been demanding the closure of vend, also torched a police vehicle.Police have rounded up many protesters and booked over 225 under attempt to murder charges.The villagers have been protesting against the vend for over a month now, demanding its closure.Four youths had died last year, allegedly after consuming spurious liquor bought from the shop. Although there have been frequent heated exchanges between the vend staff and villagers, the situation took an ugly turn on Sunday, when the latter assembled outside the shop and resisted police action to disperse them. Additional police force had to be rushed from Rampura Phul, to rescue the cops at Selverah.A team led by Inspector Avtar Singh reached the village to pacify the warring factions but was attacked by villagers with stones and bricks.Three policemen sustained serious injuries. The villagers accused cops of being hand-in-glove with the liquor contractor and not closing down the vend despite their repeated requests.