Jaipur, Sep 5 (IANS) Jaisalmer witnessed major administrative action after the murder of farmer Khet Singh (50) in Dangri village. Late on Thursday night, illegal properties of the three murder accused were demolished, and fencing on 150 bighas of encroached land was removed.
Meanwhile, Khet Singh’s body was brought to Dangri on Friday morning, where his last rites were performed in the presence of heavy police deployment.
The protest had begun at 11 A.M. on Thursday, with villagers demanding strict action in the murder case.
By 4 P.M., the crowd marched towards the village, leading to chaos. Protesters set fire to fences and vandalised vehicles. Stone-pelting followed, injuring two policemen, including a woman constable.
The police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas shelling, arresting 26 miscreants. A car was also set ablaze during the unrest, which continued for nearly three hours. Tensions eased after negotiations at the Atal Seva Kendra around 10 P.M.
Leaders including former Union Minister Kailash Choudhary, MLAs Chhotu Singh Bhati and Mahant Pratap Puri, along with senior officials, mediated the talks.
The villagers demanded the demolition of all illegal encroachments, release of detained protesters, and financial aid with a contractual job for one member of Khet Singh’s family.
The administration accepted these demands, following which the dharna was lifted.
Subsequently, action was taken against the accused — five shops belonging to Ladu Khan, Jamal Khan, and Khete Khan were demolished, and fencing on 150 bighas of illegally-occupied farmland was cleared.
On the night of September 2, Khet Singh was attacked with sharp weapons while he slept in his fields. He succumbed to injuries on September 3 in Barmer hospital.
According to locals, he was killed for stopping hunters from chasing deer in the area.
Following the murder, villagers set fire to a tyre-tube shop owned by the family of the accused, sparking heightened tension in Dangri. A large police force remains deployed in the village to maintain peace.
–IANS
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