Sources said that advocate Narain Padwar had been missing for the past two months and a missing person's report was filed. In the belief that the police were not making any effort to look for him, the villagers resorted to protests and demonstrations.

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to look into the case and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs.1 lakh to the dependents of each of the deceased. The Congress, however, has called for a strike to protest the police firing.

'The bandh has so far remained peaceful,' Inspector General (Law and Order) A.K. Soni told IANS.