Four policemen injured in firing in Uttar Pradesh

The policemen were attacked by some armed villagers in Mathura

Four policemen were injured late Monday night when a joint police team of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Rajasthan was attacked by some armed villagers in Mathura, officials said.

The team had come to nab a dreaded criminal wanted in many crimes in Bharatpur when the policemen were attacked. As the team raided the Hathiya village hideout of the criminal, villagers opened fire on the police team from roof tops.

Caught unaware by the sudden firing, the policemen ran into the thickets to save themselves.

An official said the raid was conducted specifically on a tip-off that a kidnapped minor girl was held hostage in a house in the village.

Two constables of Bharatpur police and two from the Barsana police were injured in the firing.

Rajesh, a policemen, was in critical condition as a bullet pierced his head.

Police reinforcements have been rushed to the spot and efforts were on to nab the culprits and contain the resistance by some villagers till early Tuesday, an official told IANS.

In the past two years of the Samajwadi Party (SP) rule in Uttar Pradesh, more than 50 such incidents have taken place, in which the policemen have come under attack.