Other States - Uttaranchal   

Angry BJP workers go on the rampage

DEHRA DUN: A violent mob of angry ruling BJP workers and villagers set fire to the Kaladhungi police station and residential barracks in Naini Tal district of Uttarakhand, torched about a dozen vehicles including those of the police and a bus, and killed a head constable with stones and lathis over the weekend.

All this went on for about three hours till the administration stepped in to restore order. The mob is reported to have attempted to burn alive some more policemen.

The frenzied crowd was protesting against the killing of BJP leader and Block Pramukh of Kotabagh, Balwant Singh Kanyal, allegedly by Bahujan Samaj Party district president Neeraj Tiwari inside the Kaladhungi police station when the former rushed into it to seek protection from the assailant on Saturday night.

Tiwari has been arrested and the Station House Officer of the police station who was present during the killing has been suspended, said Director-General of Police Subhash Joshi here on Monday, adding that a case of arson, loot and murder has been registered against 17 persons and a large number of unidentified persons for Sunday’s incident.

The Uttarakhand police have decided to donate one day’s salary for the family of the deceased Head Constable Puran Lal and the Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs. 1 lakh to the next of kin of Puran Lal. “One member of his family will be given a job in the police,” the DGP said. A probe by the Divisional Commissioner and Inspector-General of Police, Kumaon, has been ordered.

Large contingents of the police raided Chakalua, Kaladhungi and Kotabagh villages in search of the miscreants on Monday. The villagers complained that the cops had beaten up many people after entering their houses.

Not satisfied with the suspension of the SHO of the Kaladhungi police station, local BJP leaders urged Chief Minister R. P. Nishank to order a CBI probe so that all the culprits and negligent cops could be brought to book.

Expressing shock over the incidents, Mr. Nishank appealed for peace and assured that strict action would be taken against the culprits irrespective of political affiliations or clout.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Angry BJP workers go on the rampage
16 in the race for by-poll

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu