Bhubaneswar, Sept. 11: One person was killed as police opened fire at Chandpur in Naygarh district today following mob violence.

The police identified the deceased as Pradeep Behera, 32, from Tangi of Nayagarh district. Eighteen persons suffered injury in the violence.

Chandpur villagers, along with other people from nearby areas, were staging a protest against police inability to arrest the killers of four members of a family at Shastri Nagar of the village. The crime took place on September 6.

Though the police had assured them to arrest the accused within 72 hours, they are yet to nab them.

Today the agitators turned violent and fought a pitched battle with the police forcing the latter to open fire.

Director-general of police Sanjeev Marik said the cops had to open fire after issuing repeated warnings.

Nayagarh superintendent of police Niti Shekhar said he, along with the district collector and other senior officials, were discussing with Chandpur villagers, who had been peacefully staging demonstrations for the past three days. Today, people from outside the village joined the agitation and started pelting the police personnel with stones.

“We were holding discussion with the villagers when people from Tangi and Kushupur joined. Suddenly, the mob got violent and started hurling stones at us. They attacked the police outpost following which lathicharge was ordered,” said Shekhar.

When lathicharge failed to control the violence and even tear gas shells could not repel the mob which had injured 15 police personnel by throwing stones, the firing was ordered. “One person was hit by bullets and succumbed to injuries. Three others were injured during lathicharge and tear gas shell firing,” he said.

However, the protesters blamed the police for the incident.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the family members of the firing victim. The government will also bear the treatment cost of the three persons injured in the firing, said an official release.