2 dead in UP police firing, SP suspended; CM orders probe

Two villagers were killed in mob violence and police firing in Hamirpur district after a girl immolated herself on being teased by some youths, prompting the state government to suspend the Superintendent of Police and order magisterial inquiry today.
Taking prompt note of the incident, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is abroad, ordered immediate suspension of SP D P Singh, an official spokesman said in Lucknow.
"The Chief Minister has ordered suspension of Hamirpur SP and a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident besides arrest of those involved after registering FIR," he said.
Police said the mob attacked Biwanr police station here to demand registering of an FIR against the accused, who allegedly abetted the 15-year-old girl to commit suicide.

The incident took place yesterday when the girl was allegedly teased by Jitendra Yadav and another youth at a village and beaten up by them for offering resistance, they said.
When the girl reached home she narrated the incident to her family members and went upstairs. There she immolated herself after sprinkling kerosene oil, police said.

She was rushed to hospital in a serious condition and died during treatment, they said.
According to eye-witnesses, a number of villagers reached Biwanr police station to get the FIR registered in the case and hurled brickbats. They torched a police vehicle and seized some vehicles prompting police to open fire resulting in injuries to three persons.

Of the three, Mohit Pandey (18) and Kallu Khan (28) died during treatment, while condition of another was stated to be stable.
District administration has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased and Rs one lakh for the injured.
The incident drew spontaneous flak from opposition parties which accused the Samajwadi Party government of "failing to control law and order" in the state.
"The incident in Hampirpur is fallout of goonda raj in the state," Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Swami Prasad Maurya told PTI.
He alleged that SP "goondas" misbehaved with the girl and the state police "patronised" them and opened fire at villagers.

BJP state chief Laxmikant Bajpai said "Samajwadi Party goons" were involved in the incident.
"The goonda raj of police is at its peak and the present government has failed to check it," he said.
Congress spokesman Dwijendra Tripathi said UP is the only state where criminals are patronised by a political party.