Police today fired tear smoke shells to disperse protesters who took to streets following a runour that a resident had died in a fight with a policeman in busy Batamaloo area.
Local residents started protesting after a rumour went around that a civilian, who was involved in a scuffle with a police officer, had died, a police official said.
The official said a police sub-inspector had an argument with a civilian, a resident of Batamaloo locality, over some issue which led to a brawl.
"While the police officer received injuries to his head, the civilian fainted during the scuffle.
"Both were rushed to a nearby police hospital," the police official said.
He said the civilian was later shifted to SMHS hospital as a "precautionary measure" and his condition is stated to be stable.
"As the civilian was being rushed to police hospital, some miscreants spread the rumour that he had died due to police beating," the official said.
He said the local residents shut down their shops and started protesting against the police, blocking the traffic on the arterial road of the city.
The police fired several rounds of tear smoke shells and used batons to chase away the protesters to restore order in the area, he added.
