Tension gripped Bhikna Pahari on Monday after police used batons on a mob protesting against alleged atrocities by supporters of a candidate, who won the civic body election, in the area on Sunday night.

The protesters, comprising supporters of a losing candidate from ward number 48, Vimla Devi, on Monday accused Meera Devi, the winner from the same ward, of planning the attack on them and other residents at Bhikna Pahari under Pirbhore police station.

Around 12noon, a large number of protesters, including women, blocked Bhikna Pahari Mor. Personnel from Pirbhore and Kadamkuan police stations reached the spot and tried to convince the mob to end their protest and disperse.

An altercation broke out between the two sides, after which the protesters started throwing stones at the police. The police then used lathis to disperse the mob, sources said.

Several women protesters and two policemen suffered injuries in the incident.

Indrajeet Chandravanshi, the husband of Vimla Devi, said a group of men had attacked their supporters and residents.

“Last night, some men came in from nowhere and beat us up. Some residents tried to intervene and were assaulted by the men. Later, we learnt that they were associates of Meera Devi. She, for some reasons, had planned the attack. We took out a peaceful protest march against them and the administration today,” Chandravanshi said.

Meera Devi, however, refuted the allegations. “All the charges are false. I have won the elections and those who have lost are trying to tarnish my image. No violence took place last evening and all this is a conspiracy,” she said.

Chandravanshi claimed that the police teams on Monday arrived without any warning and started beating them up. “It was just without any warning. The police charged us and beat us up. There were many women too. The police didn’t show any mercy on them and beat them up. The people fled but the police followed and dragged them out from wherever they hid before beating them up again. The people then retaliated,” he added.

The violence continued for at least half-an-hour. Cops though said otherwise. “We asked the mob to move away but they started pelting stones at the police and destroying public property. They vent out their anger and the police had to retaliate. No woman was hit, that is a false accusation,” a police officer said.

The police, on the basis of the statement of the Kadamkuan police station house officer, have lodged an FIR against five people. Total 150 unknown persons have been also mentioned in the FIR, the police said.

The state election commission has imposed a complete ban on two-wheelers around all election areas on Tuesday. The decision has been taken because a lot of criminals had obstructed the civic poll process on May 17.