Strike over killings shuts down Indian state

Kolkata: A strike over police killings of protesters in eastern India shut schools, offices and businesses on Wednesday.

Protesters stopped trains and buses in West Bengal's state capital, Kolkata, as the strike took hold, witnesses and police said.

The strike was called by pro-government Forward Bloc after police opened fire on their supporters in a northern district on Tuesday, killing at least six people.

Villagers rallied to call for work under a rural employment guarantee scheme. The rally turned ugly as protestors tried to force their way into a government building.

Dozens of protestors were arrested by police throughout the state as they tried to block roads and stop buses in the streets.