Police books 200 persons in celebratory firing incident, hunt on for others

Police have booked 200 persons in connection with the death of an eight-year-old boy in Shamli district in celebratory firing by SP workers and announced a cash reward for any information on five absconding accused.

A case was registered against 200 unidentified persons under section 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 and 143 (unlawful assembly), and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC in this connection yesterday, SP Vijay Bhushan said today.

A reward of Rs 5,000 will be given to those who provide information about any of the five accused - Gayyur (the husband of the newly-elected block pramukh), Saleem, Mumtaz, Mehtab and Nafis.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the boy killed in firing, an official spokesman said here.

He said that guilty will not be spared and strict action will be taken against them.

Four other accused - Ehsan, Shadab, Raqib and Sadiq - were arrested yesterday in this connection on the basis of a video clip.

The SP workers were celebrating the victory of party candidate Nafisa in the local body polls from the town last week when eight-year-old Sami, who was passing by Kairana area in a rickshaw, was killed in the firing.

SP leader and Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan has been earlier booked along with 30 of his supporters for allegedly threatening the two journalists from a leading English news channel who had gone to cover the incident.

Hasan had refuted allegations that he or his aides had attacked the two journalists and said it was an attempt by the opposition to tarnish the image of the ruling party.

Hasan has been served a show-cause notice by his party, while the victorious block pramukh was expelled.

The incident has invited sharp criticism with the BJP terming the Akhilesh Yadav government as a 'Mughal sultanate' that has issued licence to its "goons" to do what they want.