Bhopal, Apr 4 (IANS): Curfew was relaxed on Wednesday in Gwalior and Chambal districts of Madhya Pradesh as the situation in the areas hit by violent protests by Dalits improved, officials said.

Curfew was imposed in many parts of Madhya Pradesh following violence on Monday during a protest by Dalits against a Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

"The curfew will be relaxed for two hours in Dabra town and for three in Gwalior for people to buy household essentials," Gwalior Superintendent of Police Dr Ashish told IANS.

"Police has filed FIR against 500 persons and has arrested 20 persons so far. Three persons were killed during the violence in the area," he said.

Curfew was relaxed for an hour between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. in Morena and Bhind, Chambal Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh said.

"The situation is under control. So far 75 persons have been arrested here," he said.

On March 20, the Supreme Court ruled that the arrest of an accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is not mandatory and a recourse to coercive action would be taken only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority.

This triggered political upheaval and social unrest in many parts of the country that claimed eight lives in Madhya Pradesh, of which three were from Gwalior, four from Bhind and one was killed in Morena.