Barmer/Jaisalmer, Sept. 5 -- Tension gripped Dangri village in Fatehgarh subdivision on Thursday, about 70 km from Jaisalmer, after a farmer was allegedly fatally attacked by poachers on Tuesday night after he stopped them from hunting deer. The murder triggered violent protests that escalated over the next two days. On Wednesday evening, angry villagers set fire to shops and a dumper truck belonging to the accused's family, while on Thursday protesters torched houses and clashed with police, forcing security forces to use lathi charge and tear gas. The victim, identified as Khet Singh, was attacked while sleeping in his field. Family members alleged that the assailants, belonging to a particular community, killed him in retaliation after he stopped them from hunting deer. The killing, coinciding with National Wildlife Day, has sparked outrage among locals and environmental groups, who have demanded that Khet Singh be declared an "environmental martyr," his family compensated, and the accused arrested. By Wednesday evening, anger spilled onto the streets. Villagers set fire to a shop belonging to the accused's family, with flames spreading to three adjoining shops. Later that night, an accused's dumper truck was also torched. Police rushed reinforcements, erected barricades and restricted entry into the village. On Thursday, large tents were erected near Dangri as villagers staged a sit-in protest. Senior BJP leaders, including district president Dalpat Hingra, former MLA Sangsinh Bhati, Swaroopsingh Khara, Shambudan Bhailani, Hathisingh Moolana, Fatehgarh Pradhan Janaksingh, and Sunita Bhati joined the demonstration. BJP leader Swaroopsingh Khara warned the administration to demolish alleged encroachments - including houses, tube wells and a mosque - said to have been built by the accused on Oran (sacred land) and Gauchar (grazing land). "If the administration fails to act by Thursday evening, we will bring in JCBs and Hitachi machines ourselves to clear the encroachments and secure justice for Khet Singh," he declared. As the deadline passed, protesters set fire to several houses in Dangri. Police intervened with a lathi charge and fired tear gas shells after being pelted with stones. The administration scrambled to prevent the unrest from spiraling into communal violence, even as district officials, including the Jaisalmer collector and SP, held late-night talks with protest leaders. Both Jaisalmer and Barmer districts remain on high alert, with heavy deployment in sensitive areas and continuous police patrolling. Authorities appealed for calm as fears of a communal flare-up grew. Additional SP Kailash Dan Jugtawat told HT that all three accused had been arrested. "We have appealed to the protestors to follow law and order and are continuously trying to explain the situation to them. Heavy police force has been deployed at the site to prevent any untoward incident," he said. Even as talks continued, BJP leaders and their supporters mounted JCB machines, reiterating their threat to demolish alleged encroachments themselves. Police were engaged in tense efforts to stop them. The Dangri unrest has drawn parallels with the recent Basanpeer incident in Jaisalmer, where encroachments on Oran land led to communal tension....