2 Dead After UP Panchayat Meeting Violence, 3 Cops Suspended

Violence broke out over a land dispute in UP's Pratapgarh, leading to the death of two men

A father and son have died in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district after a bloody brawl between two factions over a land dispute. The violence broke out during a village panchayat meeting.

The police said the meeting was held without their knowledge and with two lawyers acting as intermediaries. Nevertheless, three cops, including a Sub Inspector, have been suspended for not acting in time to prevent the violence.

"Today, in a village in Uttar Pradesh, a panchayat meeting was held to resolve a land dispute between two groups. Clashes broke out between the two sides and the injured were taken to hospital without the police being informed," Abhishek Singh, the Superintendent of Police (Pratapgarh), said.

Mr Singh said police rushed to the hospital as soon as they were informed. On reaching the hospital they were told that two men - Dayashankar Mishra and his son, Anand Mishra - had died in the violence.

Three others were injured, the police added.

In disturbing visuals from the hospital the body of one of the two men who died can be seen lying on a hospital stretcher, as a man wearing latex gloves tries desperately to revive him,

Dozens of others (some without face masks, use of which is mandatory in public spaces during the Covid pandemic) can be seen standing around. The cries of women, believed to be family members of the men who died, can be heard in the background.

In another video, two women can be seen clutching the hospital walls and crying as men walk past.

SP Abhishek Singh said two individuals - Rajesh Kumar Mishra and his son - have been arrested in connection with the violence. Mr Singh also said that in addition to the Sub Inspector, two Constables had also been suspended.

Four teams have been set up to investigate this matter, he added.