AMPATI, July 22 - Fuelled by rumours of a mentally challenged man shot dead by the police, a mob of close to 400 people attacked the Mahendraganj police station this morning. The mob even tried to set the police station and a fire tender on fire after damaging many government vehicles.
The mob, however, dispersed after police fired a few rounds in the air.
The incident took place at about 11 am today after which Sec 144 CrPC was imposed on the Bangladesh border areas in South West Garo Hills (SWGH) district.
Incidentally, the mob attack today was after another that took place last evening.
According to information received, Mahendraganj police received a desperate call from residents about a mentally challenged middle-aged man wielding a �dao� and trying to attack people along the PWD road.
When the police reached the spot, the man tried to attack the police. While attempting to evade the attack a police battalion constable fell into the flood waters. As he was trying to get up the mentally challenged man snatched his Insas rifle and pointed the gun at the rest of the police team.
When he refused to drop the gun, a sub-inspector fired a shot in the air from his service pistol but instead of letting go of the automatic rifle the man ran away with the weapon and has not been found.
Police searched for the man throughout the night in an effort to recover the gun. While the search was on, rumours of the mentally challenged man being killed by the police began doing the rounds.
This morning, around 400 people gheraoed the Mahendraganj Police Station looking for the body of the man. The mob began pelting stones and damaged a parked fire tender and windows of the police station. Circle Inspector CD Shira was injured in the stone pelting. Many cars parked within the PS were also damaged by the mob.
Police initially used tear gas to disperse the crowd. However, when the mob tried to burn down the fire tender, police resorted to blank firing after which the crowd dispersed.
�The situation is now under control. We are still searching for the man who took away the police rifle. All this happened because of rumours,� said Rithuraj Ravi, SP, WGH, who is also camping at Mahendraganj.
