Jaipur, Feb 26 (IANS): A large crowd comprising area villagers on Wednesday blocked the Fatehpur-Jhunjhunu road and staged a protest to demand martyr status for Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal, who lost his life in Delhi violence on Monday.

The protesters asserted that the body would not be cremated till the martyr status was not bestowed on the deceased policeman.

While the family of Ratan Lal was taking his mortal remains from Delhi to his native village Tihavali in Sikar district, a large number of villagers from the area stopped them in the morning hours in Sadeensar village, a few km ahead of the family's village, and blocked the Fatehpur-Jhunjhunu road.

Ramgarh police station SHO Uma Shankar said that the villagers gathered at the spot in large numbers as soon as the body was brought there on Wednesday morning. He said he did not have any more information to share since he was on leave.

When contacted, police officials concerned said they were busy trying to convince the large crowd to allow traffic to ply on the road.

The family of Ratan Lal said that his mother and two younger children were still not aware of his death.