Angry locals beat up five policemen in UP, after they allegedly beat up two men for refusing them a bribe
Highlights
- Two men were allegedly thrashed by cops for refusing them a bribe
- After the incident, angry locals beat up five cops at the police post
- A case of murder has been registered against the police post in-charge
Angry locals beat up five policemen at a police post in Uttar Pradesh, after the police allegedly beat up two men who had refused to pay them a bribe, then pushed them into a pond and watched them drown. A case of murder has been filed.
On Friday, the men were driving a tractor carrying stones in Mainpuri -- the stronghold of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the chief of Samajwadi Party and the father of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav - when policemen had stopped the tractor and demanded a bribe of Rs 1,200.
After the men refused to pay, the police beat them up, and then pushed them into a pond, the locals have alleged. The police claim the men fell in while trying to escape. The men have been identified as Dileep Yadav, 22, and Pankaj Yadav, 24, who were cousins.
Coming on the heels of the death of a Dalit man in police custody in Kanpur - who was allegedly beaten up and then hanged -- the incident has created outrage.
A mob gathered at the local outpost and severely beat up the personnel present. Senior officials had to rush in and additional forces were moved in from other districts to control the situation.
A case of murder has been registered against the police post in-charge, two constables and two home guards after postmortem report revealed both men were injured.
"We will take action against whoever is involved," said Devranjan Verma, the district's top police officer.
Facing opposition anger ahead of polls over the law and order issue, the Akhilesh Yadav government had suspended 15 policemen in Kanpur and registered a murder case.
The BJP, which is holding its state executive meeting in Jhansi, lost no time in hitting out. "The Akhilesh Yadav government is a total failure and is not able to handle the state. He should step down," said state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya.
The families of the deceased men have demanded that chief minister Akhilesh Yadav visit them.