Cop killed in stone-pelting after PM's rally

A police constable was killed Saturday in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Superintendent of Police (Ghazipur) Yashveer Singh said the protesters were workers from the Rashtriya Nishad Party who were prevented by the administration and the police from going to the rally venue.

When the Prime Minister had left Ghazipur, the party workers blocked traffic at various places and started pelting stones on the vehicles returning from the programme venue," he told PTI.

Constable Suresh Vats (48) from Karimuddinpur police station was hit on the head by a stone when he went to end a traffic jam caused by the protests.

"He was immediately taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said.

He said about 15 party workers were detained. The police are trying to identify other protesters through the video footage of the incident.

The constable was from Raniganj in Pratapgarh district.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the dead constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents, the state government said.

He also directed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to take strict action against unruly elements and immediately arrest them.

The death comes less than a month after the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot dead during mob violence in Bulandshahr district over alleged cow slaughter.

The man who allegedly shot the Bulandshahr inspector was arrested this week.

Modi had addressed a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postal stamp on Maharaj Suheldev.

He had left for Varanasi when the violence in Ghazipur took place.