#WATCH: CM Shivraj Chouhan appeals farmers to be peaceful, announces Rs 1 cr for families of deceased, 5 lakh for t… https://t.co/Dgh90wOp9K — ANI (@ANI_news) 1496770231000

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INDORE: At least four persons killed and two others sustained injuries after shots were fired during a protest by farmers that turned violent in Mandsaur district on Tuesday. Curfew was clamped in Mandsaur and Pipliamandi as a precaution.The farmers accused the police and CRPF personnel of opening fire at them, while the Mandsaur district authorities and the state government maintained that no orders were issued to personnel to open fire. They claimed that the protesters were using firearms, thus leading to the deaths.Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial probe into the deaths and announced compensation of Rs 1 crore to the kin of the deceased and assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the injured.Violence broke out at Piplia Toll Naka in Pipliamandi on the sixth day of the farmers’ protest when the agitators pelted stones at the police and burnt vehicles passing on the road.The government claimed that the agitators were not farmers, but people trying to instigate them.The mob torched over 27 vehicles, including trucks carrying automobiles, forcing police to lob teargas shells to disperse the crowd.The agitating farmers set afire cars parked in the compound of a mechanic and ransacked the shop of a dairy merchant. The shop was later set afire, but doused within a few minutes by the police and residents.A commotion intensified, shots were fired killing four persons. The deceased were identified as Kanhailal Patidar (s/o Bhurelal Patidar) of Chilod Piplia, Bablu Patidar (s/o Jagdish Patidar) of Takrawad, Surendra Singh (s/o Omkar Singh) of Reecha Badri and Kemram (address yet to be verified).The injured, Murli Sharma and an unidentified youth were referred to a hospital to Indore.Official sources said internet connection to Mandsaur was snapped following orders of district magistrate Swatantra Kumar Singh, thus preventing rumours from spreading. But, as news about the deaths spread, farmers moved on to the streets in numbers and set afire a check post under Nahargarh police station area. Attempts were also made to break into a district cooperative bank, but the attackers were pushed back by the police.Singh clamped curfew in Mandsaur and Pipliamandi area as a preventive measure. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 were also imposed in neighbouring Ratlam district.Farmers resorted to violence in other parts of Ratlam and Mandsaur, forcing police to use force to disperse the crowd. In Suwasara area, police lobbed teargas shells as farmers damaged public property and attempted to set afire police vehicles.Ujjain divisional commissioner MB Ojha told TOI that incidents of rioting were reported in Pipliamandi on Monday night.Farmers damaged railway tracks and railway crossing gates in Daloda area of Mandsaur. Angry farmers also set afire vehicles on Mandsaur-Neemuch road and pelted stones at the police.In Indore, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse a crowd of farmers, which formed a peaceful procession, but turned violent damaging public property.The farmers protest grew in strength and triggered violence on Tuesday, despite the assurance by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that the government would purchase onions at Rs 8/kg and moong dal at an agreed price.Chouhan squarely blamed Congress for instigating the farmers to indulge in violence. In a tweet, he asked farmers not to listen to elements trying to flare up tension. “The deaths in Mandsaur are unfortunate. I have ordered a judicial probe into it,” he said claiming that demands of the farmers have been met.