Gorakhpur: Three students were killed when police opened fire on a violent mob, which took hostage the district magistrate and superintendent of police (SP) in Anandnagar town of Maharajgunj district in Uttar Pradesh while protesting the gunning down of a student leader.

They also set ablaze a railway engine and several government vehicles. As tensions ran high, authorities imposed curfew in the area and deployed police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in sensitive areas to maintain law and order.

Protesting the gunning down of one of their leaders on December 19, the students of Lal Bahadur Shastri Degree College went on rampage indulging in arson and brickbatting in Pharenda area, official sources said.

They said police opened fire after senior officials were taken hostage by the students, infuriated over the killing of their students' union leader Santosh Jaiswal in the college premises.

PTI