Patna, June 17: Twelve people, including six policemen, were injured when police lobbed teargas and charged baton on rampaging supporters of Rajesh Ranjan, president of the Indian Federal Democratic Party, at Fatwah in rural Patna today during a day-long dharna which was organised to protest the kidnapping of local businessman Alok Kumar. The Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) Amit Kumar said, as soon as Rajesh Ranjan or Pappu Yadav, the MP from Purnia, left the venue, his supporters started heavybrick-batting in which six policemen were injured and also smashed the windscreens of five vehicles.

With the situation going out of control, the police burst tear gas shells and resorted to mild baton charge in which the MP's six supporters received minor injuries, the SP said.

The SP said that an FIR had been lodged with the local police station naming the IFDP MP and 20 others accused of breaching peace.

No arrest has been made so far in this connection, the SP said.

Meanwhile, an IFPD spokesman, Surendra Singh Yadav, condemned the police action, claiming that the police resorted to lathicharge and lobbed teargas shells on peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against rising crime graph in Bihar.

Bureau Report