Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh:
A 28-year-old woman today allegedly hanged herself at a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur, hours after she was prevented from committing suicide by a forest guard. The incident led to violent protests by her family members in which four policemen, including a Superintendent of Police, were injured.
Jeenat hanged herself in the washroom of Mehmoodabad Kotwali police station, where she had been brought by the forest guard who had prevented her from jumping into a canal.
"Following a family dispute, the woman first tried to commit suicide by jumping into a canal but was prevented from doing so by a forest guard who noticed her just on time. She later hanged herself at the police station's washroom using a dupatta," district police chief Rajesh Krishna said.
The woman's family, however, has alleged foul play on the part of the police.
Agitated over the incident, Jeenat's family blocked the Kotwali road demanding an inquiry into her death, a police official said, adding that the agitation later turned violent as the protesters indulged in stone-pelting and firing.
The police fired in air and used tear gas to disperse the protesters, the official said, adding, the mob also set a police jeep on fire.
According to senior police official Vijay Bahadur Singh, four cops, including Superintendent of Police Krishna, were injured in the clash.
Though it was not confirmed by the authorities, the protesters claimed that a youth was hit by a bullet and is at present undergoing treatment at a hospital.
In Lucknow, IG (Law and Order) A Satish Ganesh said only mild force was used to disperse the unruly mob, and that a senior police officer had been rushed to the spot.