Mathura anti-encroachment drive: Death toll rises to 17; Rajnath Singh calls Akhilesh Yadav

Agra: Seventeen people, including two policemen were killed, after clashes broke during an anti-encroachment drive in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura town on Thursday.

Superintendent of Police (City) Mukul Dwivedi and Farha Station House Officer (SHO) Santosh Kumar Yadav were killed in firing by the encroachers. Five other policemen were injured.

The clashes broke out when police were trying to evict illegal occupants of a land in Jawahar Bagh by activists, believed to be of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, on the directions of the Allahabad High Court.

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered a probe into the incident.

Yadav instructed Principal Secretary (Home) and Director General of Police to personally inspect the clashes at Mathura at the earliest and take stock of the situation.

UPP police lost two brave officers today in the line of duty. My salutations to them. We shall always remember their supreme sacrifice

Huge cache of arms recovered in Mathura 45 arms of 315 bore, two 12 bore one factory made 315 bore rifle, one 12 bore rifle, four 315 bore

Home Minister Rajnath Singh called on the UP CM and assured all possible help from the Centre.

Mathura Superintendent of Police Rakesh Singh said criminal elements had encroached upon a major part of the 280-acre government land named Jawahar Bagh.

IG (Law and Order) H R Sharma said around 3,000 encroachers pelted stones and later opened fire at the police team as they reached the spot. In retaliation, the police had to fire after using batons and tear gas at them, he said.

The encroachers threw hand-grenades and bombs at the police and beat up many of them. Reports say that at least four dozen people, including, two dozen police personnel, were injured in the skirmishes.

Ram Vraksha Yadav, leader of the activists, and the security officer of the group Chandan Gaur managed to flee along with thousands of their supporters

The UP Chief Minister announced Rs 20 lakh ex gratia to the family of the killed police official.

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Source:Zeenews