Mob Violence: Police Constable Killed by MOb in Uttar Pradesh

The incident on Saturday occurred while the victim, constable Suresh Vats, and his colleagues were returning from security duty at PM Modi's rally a few kilometres away.




One Constable killed by mob in Uttar Pradesh (Videograb)

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) A police constable died after he was hit by a stone during violent protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on Saturday afternoon, a couple of hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in the district. Police identified the attackers as members of the Nishad Party, which was holding a district-wide agitation to demand greater reservation in government jobs and colleges for their community.

This is the second incident of a policeman being killed by a mob in Uttar Pradesh over the last few weeks. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead in western Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on December 3, after clashes erupted over cow slaughter allegations.

The incident on Saturday occurred while the victim, constable Suresh Vats, and his colleagues were returning from security duty at PM Modi’s rally a few kilometres away. A policeman who witnessed the entire episode said that the control room had alerted them to a large group of Nishad community members blocking a highway near Itwa crossing to demand the release of a fellow-activist. “We tried placating the agitators, but they just wouldn’t listen. Instead, they began throwing bricks and stones at us. About three of us were injured, and Suresh died before he could be taken to a hospital,” he said.

Mahipal Pathak, a senior police officer, confirmed that the attackers belonged to the Nishad Party. Many people have been detained for questioning in connection with the incident.

However, party chief Sanjay Kumar Nishad denied the charge. “We want a detailed police investigation into the incident. The BJP is trying to defame us by levelling false allegations,” he said.

The OBC (other backward classes) party enjoys a sizeable presence in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Praveen Kumar, his son, had won the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls earlier this year with the support of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Mr Vats hailed from Lachhipur in Pratapgarh district. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the Ghazipur District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police to arrest the accused immediately. He also announced compensation amounting to Rs. 40 lakh for the constable’s wife and Rs. 10 lakh for his parents, a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office stated.

(Source: NDTV)

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