A man's death in a road accident in Mathura sparked a protest by locals who alleged he was killed by cattle smugglers. Police denied the claims, stating it was an accident due to fog, and used force to clear a roadblock by protesters.
A scuffle broke out on Saturday between the police and locals in Mathura's Kosi area, as people blocked the road and protested against the death of a person who they claimed was allegedly run over by cattle smugglers.
Police Deny Smuggling Link, Clarify Incident as Road Accident
Senior Superintendent of Police Mathura, Shlok Kumar said, "Last night, between approximately 3:00 and 4:00 AM, at Kosi police station, Chandrashekhar, also known as Farsa Baba, stopped a vehicle he deemed suspicious. Due to dense fog, a truck with a Rajasthan license plate coming from behind hit his vehicle, resulting in his death. The container he had stopped was found to contain groceries, and the truck that came from behind, with a Rajasthan number, was loaded with wires. Both the driver and conductor of the truck are residents of Alwar, Rajasthan. The truck met with an accident, and the driver was also injured and is currently receiving treatment. The SSP denied any link of the incident an alleged case of cow smuggling. "There has been no indication of cow smuggling in this incident. Some people had gathered regarding this incident and blocked traffic and pelted stones at Chhata police station. The blockade has been cleared using necessary force. Further legal action is being taken," he said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Agra Range, Shailesh Kumar Pandey, speaking to reporters, said, "Earlier today, a truck collided with a stopped vehicle, leaving one person dead. The incident led to a roadblock and clashes with police, but the situation is now under control. Authorities confirmed it was a road accident with no cattle involved, and arrests have been made. Strict action will follow against those involved in violence, while a full investigation is underway."
Political Slugfest Erupts
The case has already taken on political overtone with SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav questioning the state government on the issue "We know what wrong is being done where. We can see the reaction to the wrong being done. A murder occurred in Mathuran, and in Varanasi before that, even in Gorakhpur earlier. So, this series has been going on in Uttar Pradesh. Women are unsafe...When you make the police do something else, they will sleep away. They won't do their work. They are working for the BJP, not doing its own work," he said.
CM Adityanath Orders Strict Action
Meanwhile, CM Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of Incident in Kosi. The CM expressed condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased. He also instructed officials to reach the incident site immediately. The Chief Minister directed that criminals involved in the incident be identified as soon as possible and strict action be taken against them. The CM said that criminals should not be spared under any circumstances. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)