The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday said that it has arrested 11 people in the killing of a head constable by a violent mob on Saturday.
"We have arrested 11 people for the death of head constable Suresh Pratap Singh Vats," Ghazipur Assistant Superintendent of Police Chandra P. Shukla told IANS.
He said the police have named 32 known and over 100 unknown persons in the case.
Condoling Vats' death, Director General of Police O.P. Singh tweeted, "The death is extremely tragic. So far 19 accused in three cases have been arrested, which include 11 in the case of murder."
"Strict action will be taken against those involved in violence," Singh said.
Vats, a head constable posted at the Karimuddin Police Station, died after he sustained head injury by the stone pelting mob of the Nishad party.
This is the second such death involving police personnel and mobs this month in the state.
On December 3, police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed in Bulandshahr in western UP when he tried to stop a mob of right-wing activists and villagers from keeping cattle carcasses to block a road from where a large number of Muslims were to return after a religious congregation.
According to police, Vats was part of a police team trying to control the crowd which was protesting against the detention of a few of its members during a series of demonstrations during the day.
The official said that Vats had arrived at the protest site to control the crowd around 4 p.m., after finishing his duty at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in the district, which was 15 km away. However, an hour later he succumbed to his injury, he said.
Vats was attached with the Karimuddinpur police station for over a year and belonged to Pratapgarh district. Vats is survived by his wife and three children -- a son and two daughters.
Former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of following 'thoko neeti' (encounter policy) to avoid transfers, which has led to confusion in the police force.
"The Chief Minister keeps harping about 'thok do' (encounter policy). Sometimes the police donot know whom to beat up."
"The encounter policy has led the police officers to believe that they could be transferred if they don't organise 'encounters,' forcing their subordinates to follow this attitude," he alleged.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the death of the policeman and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to his family members.
The Chief Minister has also announced "extraordinary pension for the wife of the deceased and government service for one person of his family".
--IANS
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