 "Mathura incident: 2 UP Police officials among 24 killed")
Twenty-four people, including two Uttar Pradesh Police officials, have been killed following clashes between the cops and armed members of an organisation in Mathura yesterday during an anti-encroachment drive.
About 50 people, including cops, have also been wounded, in the clashes that exposed local intelligence failure on the part of the district and police administration. The cops were apparently ill-prepared for the tough resistance put forth by the heavily armed and trained squatters.
The anti-encroachment drive in Jawahar Bagh had been mounted following a High Court order on a PIL to get the occupied land vacated. No sooner did the cops try to enter the premises under occupation, than the armed squatters under the banner of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi attacked policemen.
While Station House Officer (SHO) Santosh Kumar Yadav was killed on the spot, a grievously injured Mathura Superintendent of Police (City) Mukul Dwivedi succumbed last night.
Later, senior police and administration officials were rushed to the spot with security reinforcements to contain the situation. The group leader Ram Vraksha Yadav is still at large.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased cops.
Meanwhile, the ruling Samajwadi Party government has conceded to the local intelligence failure and assured of strict action against the guilty after an inquiry.
The opposition parties are cornering the government over the deteriorating law and order situation in UP, claiming even cops are not safe.
Senior UP cabinet minister and Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav has now urged the opposition not to politicize the unfortunate incident.
According to reports, an estimated 3,000 encroachers had opened fire and pelted stones on the unsuspecting cops, which later retaliated with tear gas shells and batons.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including sophisticated weapons, were seized from the spot and scores arrested.
The group, which had been on self-styled dharna, is a splinter of the spiritual Jai Gurudev cult. It had occupied a large chunk of land in Jawahar Bagh about two years and raised peculiar demands such as abolition of the office of the President and Prime Minister of India, replacing Indian currency with 'Azad Hind Fauj' currency etc.
Meanwhile, UP Governor Ram Naik, who is currently in Mumbai, talked to Akhilesh Yadav over telephone seeking details of the incident and asking for taking tough action in this regard.