Protests In Allahabad Over Law Student's Murder, Bus Set On Fire

Allahabad: Students shouted slogans on the streets of Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad, hurled stones and set fire to a bus in protests today over the killing of a 26-year-old law student at a restaurant by a group of men on Friday. Police in riot gear had to be called in to control a large group of students from the Allahabad University, who protested outside the offices of top police officers.

Dilip Saroj was beaten to death with a hockey stick, an iron rod and bricks in a fight that started when one of the attackers, Vijay Shankar Singh, accidentally brushed against him while entering a restaurant. The murder was caught on mobile phone camera by a passerby.

Dilip Saroj fell unconscious and died in hospital on Saturday morning. A waiter at Kalika restaurant has been arrested. The police say the waiter, Munna Chauhan, hit Dilip on his head with an iron rod, which led to his death. The same waiter is on camera picking up the unconscious Dilip to take him to hospital. Amid doubts, the police released CCTV footage from the restaurant, in which Munna Chauhan is seen trying to stop the fight, then picking up a rod and striking Dilip.  

Vijay Shankar Singh, who reportedly works with the Indian Railways, is missing. He is believed to be in Varanasi.

In the mobile phone clip that records the last few moments of Dilip's life, he is lying on the steps of the restaurant. The man filming the attack and another witness are heard saying in the video, "The police will show up only after he is dead."
 Two policemen have been suspended for not responding though their patrol car was just about 100 metres from the restaurant. The restaurant's manager had reportedly dialed the helpline 100, which should have brought the patrol car immediately to the spot but didn't.

The police, inexplicably, are yet to contact the man who shot the video.

According to the police, the argument started when Dilip and his friends were sitting on the stairs outside the restaurant, waiting for their order. Vijay Shankar Singh and his group were going inside when he bumped against Dilip. The two groups were soon shouting at each other.

Later, Dilip and his friends went back into the restaurant to confront Vijay Shankar Singh. Dilip's friend is seen picking up a chair and attacking Singh. A huge brawl erupts.

"At this time Munna Chauhan, the waiter, hit Dilip with an iron rod and he fell unconscious... We have interviewed Munna Chauhan. He has told us he was carrying vegetables and got caught in the scuffle. He says he was also hit and he became so angry he hit Dilip with an iron rod," said senior police officer Akash Kulhary.