By IANS,
Jaipur : The entire staff of Gopalgarh police station in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district was removed Thursday after it was found negligent in handling a clash between two communities that led to eight deaths and 20 injuries last week.
Members of the Gujjar and Meo communities clashed in Bharatpur district Sep 14 over a piece of land, one group claiming that it was for a burial centre and the other that it was for a pond.
The Bharatpur superintendent of police ordered the removal of 20 policemen from the station, including the inspector in charge .
The move came after a fact-finding team, sent by the Congress party leadership at the centre, visited Bharatpur recently and categorically said there was administrative negligence during the clash.
“The police inspector and other staff have been sent to reserved police lines. Further investigation is on,” a police officer told IANS.
The state government Thursday appointed retired Rajasthan High Court judge S.K. Garg to conduct a judicial inquiry.
The government has already announced a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the clash.
Groups like Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind condemned the violence and demanded strict action against the officers and also members of the Gujjar community.
Union Minister of State for Home Bhanwar Jitendra Singh also visited Bharatpur Sunday to meet the families of victims.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has also ordered a committee headed by senior leader Digambar Singh to probe the incident.
The government has announced compensation of Rs.5 lakh each to the families of those killed.