At least five persons were shot dead while eight others sustained serious gunshot wounds during violent clashes between members of two communities in a village in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday morning.
Initial investigation by the police indicated that a dispute over the grazing of cattle on an agricultural field three days ago led to the clashes between members of the Pal and Dangi communities in village Reda in the Datia district.
Later, Prakash Dangi and Preetam Pal, who were involved in the dispute, lodged their respective complaints at the Civil Lines police station, and a counter FIR was registered there in the matter.
However, members of the two communities called a meeting to resolve the issue today meeting. But the meeting ended up in an altercation which eventually culminated in a full-scale armed strife between the two groups. Initially, they used rods and sticks against each other, but as the clashes intensified guns were out.
Datia Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Sharma said during the shootout, Prakash Dangi, Ram Naresh Dangi and Surendra Dangi of the Dangi community, and Rajendra Pal and Raghvendra Pal of the Pal community were killed on the spot.
At least eight others were seriously injured with gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire. All the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
After the bloody clashes, a heavy police force has been deployed in the village to monitor the situation, which remains tense.
Datia is the assembly constituency of MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra.