A group of students set ablaze an air-conditioned coach of a train and vandalised the Lakhisarai railway station in Bihar, prompting the police to fire in air to quell the violent crowd, Railway officials said.

The ticketless students, who had boarded the air-conditioned coach of Danapur-Sahebganj intercity express at Barahiya station, started a heated argument with railway officials at Lakhisarai during a ticket checking drive following which they smashed the windowpanes of the bogie and set it on fire, Sub-divisional Officer S N Jha told PTI.

The students also vandalised the ticket counter at the station and pelted stones at the Government Railway Police, resulting in injury to two constables.

Two students and some other passengers received minor injuries when the police batoncharged the crowd to control the situation.

As things threatened to get out of hand, police fired five rounds in the air to disperse the crowd, Jha said, adding four students were taken into custody.

There was no report of injury to any passenger due to the blaze, he said.

Train services were paralysed for about a couple of hours due to the incident.

Officiating District Magistrate Yoganand Dutta and Superintendent of Police S P Shukla, who rushed to the station claimed the situation was now fully under control.