A police team that responded to a clash and arson incident in a village in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district was attacked by locals, including women, who allegedly assaulted them with sticks and threw chilli powder in their eyes, officials said.

Former Army chief Gen M M Naravane said it is “fortuitous” that India-China ties are “on the mend” with a number of initiatives announced at political, diplomatic and military levels for the improvement of “our relations” going forward.

The murder of Nayan Santani, a Class 10 student, was preceded by weeks of escalating clashes between him and his junior at Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School. Despite teachers being aware of the hostility and attempting reconciliations, no strong action was taken, nor were parents informed.