Gurgaon, August 7
Seven Kanwarias were today run over by speeding vehicles in three mishaps, sparking protests by the Shiva devotees and locals, who burnt buses, blocked roads and clashed with the police, forcing it to open fire and use batons to quell the violence.

(Unconfirmed reports said one person, whose identify was yet to be established, was killed in police firing near Varanasi.)

In an early morning incident, two Kanwarias were killed by a speeding truck near Manesar in Haryana, while three others were injured. The two dead have been identified as Krishna Kumar and Lilu, belonging to Alwar district of Rajasthan.

Enraged by the incident, hundreds of devotees and locals blocked the Delhi-Jaipur Highway and set ablaze seven vehicles.

Though the police arrested truck driver Kulwinder Singh, the Kanwarias joined by villagers of Manesar, set afire seven vehicles including the car of DCP (Headquarters) Gurgaon, and two Haryana roadways buses. All five vehicles were gutted.

Besides these three roadways buses were also damaged by the mob during agitation. Senior district officials rushed to the spot to maintain calm.

Meanwhile, around 500 Kanwarias gathered on the spot to agitate against the truck driver. The DC has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 25,000 to the injured. The police had to resort to lathi-charge when around 300 Kanwarias kept up the blockade. They were also joined by passersby and youth from nearby areas.

Meanwhile the police diverted the traffic from the Rajiv Chowk and Dhalua Chowk of Gurgaon and the Manesar traffic was diverted to Bilaspur at Pachgao via Pataudi road.

While taking to media person, Gurgaon, Commissioner of Police, Mohinder Lal said that administration and police department tried to amicably assuage the feeling of the kanawaria's through talks.

In another incident near Varanasi, three Kanwarias were killed when they were knocked down by a speeding truck near Oonj between Allahabad and Varanasi, following which thousands of devotees indulged in stone pelting and torched several vehicles.

The Kanwarias alleged the truck driver ploughed into a group of devotees when a police vehicle gave it a chase.

At least 50 Kanwarias and 15 policemen were injured in the clash, the SP said. Traffic was suspended and several vehicles were left stranded as a large number ok Kanwarias squatted on the road.

In another incident, two Kanwarias - a father and his son- were killed after being run over by a vehicle near Kothputli on the Jaipur- Delhi highway in the wee hours.

The deceased were identified as Govindram (55) and Mahendra (18).