BHOPAL: Gwalior city was tense on Wednesday after candidates at an army recruitment rally went berserk, pelted stones and indulged in arson to protest change in schedule. Twenty people, including 12 policemen were injured and about 12 vehicles were set ablaze. The mob did not spare Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express train and hurled stones on it near Gwalior railway station , smashing glass panes.

As the train halted, some of them tried to board it, but failed as doors were locked and train started immediately. No passenger was injured.

“Station master and railway entire force was present at the station and nothing untoward happened. If stones were hurled at the train, it may have been somewhere in between,” in charge of GRP police station KL Rai, Gwalior told TOI.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gwalior, Santosh Singh said, “Eight civilians and 12 policemen were injured and several vehicles were damaged by the mob”. A case has being registered for ransacking public property, he said.

“Initially there was chaos, but the situation was brought under control around 10.30 am. Arrangements were made to send candidates to their home districts,” Singh told TOI. Chaos started at around 7.30 am, an hour after the scheduled start of the recruitment drive.

Over 20,000 aspirants hailing from Bhind, Morena, Shivpuri and Gwalior districts assembled at Vyapar Mela Ground for Indian Army Soldiers Recruitment Rally which started on November 11.

