Trouble began this afternoon in Madiyalhu locality at Bamrauli area where locals alleged that a constable was moving around extorting money from small-time shopkeepers and vendors. When one of the traders protested, he allegedly opened fire and a bullet hit the person's leg.
Locals got enraged and chased the constable, who ran and took shelter inside Bamrauli police outpost situated nearby, officials said.
The enraged residents set fire to the outpost and when the policemen on duty there rushed outside and clashed with the mob, it set ablaze a number of two-wheelers parked nearby, SP (Crime) Arun Kumar Pandey said.
A police party led by SP (City) Shailesh Kumar Yadav rushed to the spot along with a fire tender, which too got destroyed in the arson, while Yadav suffered serious injuries during the clash, Pandey said.
Over 20 people, including 12 policemen, were seriously injured in the clash and they were rushed to a hospital in the city where one of the injured locals, identified as Mohd Faiz, succumbed to his injuries, he said.