A youth was allegedly stabbed to death in Ambedkar colony this morning, after which the residents went on rampage and damaged several buses, shops, cars and two wheelers near the Bharat Nagar chowk.
Protesters were demanding immediate arrest of the accused, who stabbed Shammi Kumar, 23, police said.
The mob also thrashed some persons going on the roadside. Some of them were also carrying sticks and base ball bats etc.
Later, they, including women and children, sat on dharna on Ludhiana-Ferozepur road at Bharat Nagar chowk and blocked traffic, theysaid.
They raised slogans against the police and the state government.
The dharna continued for three hours and long queues were seen on all the major and adjoining roads like Ferozepur road, Pakhowal road, Sarabha Nagar road, Ghumar Mandi, Fountain chowk, Cinema road and Domoria bridge in the city.
In the evening, some supporters of the deceased ransacked the house of the alleged killer and also tried to set the house of an Akali municipal councillor on fire.
At that time, the councillor Sonu was sitting on dharna opposite model gram police post in favour of the accused.
A large number of police personnel including Quick Reaction Force and anti riot vehicles were deployed there.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Harmohan Singh Sandhu said," A case of murder has been registered against the accused, Arun Kumar, and police is trying to nab the alleged killer. The situation is tense, but under control".
