An eight-year-old boy was killed during an encounter between policemen and criminals in a village in Mathura district, prompting villagers to accuse the police that it was their bullet that fatally hit the child.
The police said it was investigating the matter and the four policemen involved in the encounter have been suspended.
Madhav was killed during the exchange of fire in Mohanpur Aduki village last evening. Villagers alleged that a bullet fired by the police team hit the boy, but the police suspect he was caught in the cross firing by the criminals.
An FIR has been registered against four "erring" policemen, SSP Swapnil Mamgai said.
Shiv Shankar, the grandfather of the child, has denied the presence of criminals in the village, and said even though he had denied the presence of outlaws, the police opened fire.
"I was at aghast when I found my grandson in blood after a bullet hit his head," Shankar said.
Madhav was being rushed to a hospital by the policemen, but they fled mid way, leaving the child with a villager, Shankar and other villagers have claimed.
Later, doctors at a hospital declared Madhav dead on arrival.
Mathura District Magistrate Sarvagya Ram Mishra today gave a succour of Rs 5 lakh from the Uttar Pradesh government to Madhav's father, Amarnath.
The state government has ordered a separate investigation by IG Agra Zone Raja Srivastav, a government official said.
"Not only an FIR against the two sub-inspectors and the constables has been registered but they have been suspended as prima facie they have been found guilty," Srivastav said.
He said SI Virendra Yadav was suspended for allegedly firing on the child, and SI Saurabh Sharma, constables Subhash and Udham were suspended for dereliction of duty after they abandoned the wounded Madhav mid-way to a hospital.
According to Srivastava, the police has arrested two criminals, but one of them escaped after firing at the police team.
He said a ballistic team has been sent to the village to investigate the empty cartridge recovered from the scene of the incident. "The cartridge would reveal the nature of fire, weapon and the guilty," he said.
Since the height of the child is 3 ft 6 inches, it can not be denied that the police team might have opened fire aiming for the leg of escaping criminal, but it unfortunately hit the child, the officer said.
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