Shimla, Jan 1 (IANS): Residents on Wednesday staged a sit-in protest in the Dalhousie region of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh after the death of a general manager of a private hotel on New Year’s Eve after a scuffle with some policemen.

The hotel’s general manager, Rajendra Malhotra, died after falling from a hill during an alleged scuffle near the hotel's parking area in the tourist resort Banikhet over some issue with two police Constables, who were later taken into custody.

Both have been booked for assault that led to his death.

Angry over the death, local residents blocked the road at the Banikhet bus stand and staged a sit-in for more than two hours, demanding strict action against the accused police personnel.

Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Yadav reached the spot and after he assured them of action, the pacified villagers calmed down and lifted the protest.

According to the police, Constable Anup had an argument with hotel employee Sachin over some issue.

The hotel’s general manager Malhotra and a waiter were trying to pacify them. After some time when they came out of the hotel and Malhotra was also requesting the police personnel to go back, they got into a scuffle again and in the melee Malhotra fell from the hill.

Hotel employee Sachin also suffered injuries.

The manager's brother said another person has been injured in the incident and has been referred to a hospital in Punjab’s Pathankot.

Eyewitnesses alleged that three police personnel had come to the hotel.

The police personnel are Amit and Anup and the name of the third person is not being disclosed.

Some CCTV footage related to the case has also surfaced. The hotel owner told the police that he was not present during the crime but he was informed that three police personnel arrived at the hotel in an Alto car.