Police fired in the air to disperse a mob which attacked a police station in Meghalaya's South West Garo Hills on Monday, a police officer said.
The mob attacked the Mahendraganj police station at about 11 am following rumours that a mentally challenged man was shot dead by police, the officer said.
Police initially used tear gas to disperse the mob. But when the mob tried to burn down a fire engine and vehicles parked in the police station, police fired in the air after which the mob dispersed, the officer said.
"The situation is now under control with and we have brought in reinforcements. All this happened because of rumours," said Rithuraj Ravi, the superintendent of police, who is also camping at Mahendraganj
Prohibitory orders under section 144 Crpc was imposed in the area following the mob attack of the police station, the officer said.
On Sunday the Mahendraganj police received a call from residents about a mentally challenged, middle-aged man wielding a 'dao' (long knife) and trying to attack people along the PWD road.
When a police team reached the spot, the man tried to attack them. The mentally challenged man snatched an Insas rifle of a constable and pointed the gun towards the police team.
When the man refused to drop the gun, a sub-inspector fired a shot in the air from his service pistol but the man ran away with the rifle into the darkness and has not been found.
On Monday morning rumours of the mentally challenged man being killed by the police started doing the rounds and the mob attacked the police station, the officer added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
