Friday, May 19 2006 15:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Fifteen people, including four photo-journalists and some policemen, were injured when pro-quota students and doctors attacked the lensmen and the police during a protest here today (May 19, 2006).

The students from various medical colleges in Bihar alleged the media and police were trying to 'suppress the Centre's proposal to introduce 27 per cent reservations for OBCs in premier educational institutions.

Hundreds of pro-quota agitators took out a procession from the Gandhi Maidan to the Dak Bunglow roundabout, where they burnt effigies to protest the opposition to the Union Human Resource Ministry's initiative to reserve seats for OBCs.

They later targeted the cameramen who had gathered to cover the protest and started beating them with sticks and other objects.

Photographers of the Press Trust of India, Times of India and Hindustan Times, cameramen of Star News and Aaj Tak TV channels and some journalists were injured.

Some of them also suffered head injuries and were sent to the Patna Medical College and Hospital for treatment, officials said.

Senior Police Superintendent Kundan Krishnan told sources that apart from the cameramen and journalists, the protestors also attacked policemen with sticks, injuring four of them.

Around 15 people were reported to have been injured in the attack by the protestors, Krishnan said adding the police later used batons to disperse the agitators.