Tension gripped residents of Begusarai following the death of a 22-year-old youth in police firing late on Monday night.

On Tuesday, the town residents disrupted traffic on National Highway (NH) 31 by placing the body of Sonu Kumar near Barauni refinery to protest police excesses. They demanded stern action against the policemen responsible for the firing.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. "We have deployed additional armed police forces and are also trying to pacify the protesters. We have assured them that disciplinary action would be taken against the erring cops," said Begusarai superintendent of police (SP) Manoj Kumar.

The SP, however, claimed that the situation in the trouble-torn area was tense but under control.

"Efforts are on to restore the traffic," the SP told The Telegraph over phone. The blockade was continuing till the time of filing the report.

Deputy inspector-general (Munger range) S.P. Shukla, however, defended the police firing. The DIG said the police had to open fire to disperse the mob, which turned violent and torched the local police outpost. "The cops opened fire in self-defence," he added.

Last night, the police fired upon a mob, which attacked a police outpost on NH-31 near Haripur village adjacent to Barauni refinery. The mob had been holding six cops, including Barauni refinery police outpost station house officer Shiv Kant Singh, hostage.

Later, the mob attacked the police lock-up and freed the truck driver and the cleaner, who were detained for interrogation, after their vehicle hit two motorcyclists around 8.30pm on Monday. The mob thrashed the driver and his assistant in public.

When some policemen intervened, the protesters pelted them with stones. As the news about the death of the two youths spread, the protesters became more aggressive and torched the police outpost. At least six policemen, identified as Shav Kant Singh, Manoj Kumar, Lallan Singh, Ravindra Kumar, Niranjan Kumar and Harishankar, suffered serious head injuries in stone-pelting.

The Begusarai SP said the condition of a homeguard jawan, Uday Jha, was critical. Jha was attacked when he tried to foil the protesters' attempt to torch the police camp, he added.

Police said the Ninga village residents went on the rampage and blocked the road after Sarfaraz, alias Mohammad Mulayam, and Mohammad Mahajjam, were knocked down by a speeding truck.

"The accident took place, when the victims were returning on a motorbike to their native village Ninga from Begusarai after finishing their work at a motor garage. While Sarafaz died on the spot, Mohammad Mahajjam succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital," said an investigating officer.

The residents alleged that NH 31, which passed through the district, had turned accident-prone. On an average, two-three accidents are reported to the district control room on a daily basis. "No step has been taken by the district authorities to check rash driving," said a resident.