Police constable killed in stone-pelting in UP's Ghazipur, Congress says 'BJP rule=mobocracy'

A police constable, identified as Suresh Vats, 48, was killed on Saturday in Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The incident took place less than a month after inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead by a mob in state's Bulandshahr on December 3 during a violence that broke out over cow slaughter allegations.

#WATCH One constable dead & two locals from the area injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area, earlier today. #Ghazipur pic.twitter.com/FnviOzuRIU

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018

The occured when policemen posted at the district's Nonhara police station were returning from duty at PM Modi's rally and were asked to control a mob allegedly from the Nishad community demanding reservation by blocking a highway. The police team was attacked with stones by the protesters when it tried to disperse them.

Earlier visuals from Ghazipur: 1 constable dead & 2 locals from the area injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area today. pic.twitter.com/FAGzcFSyUe

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the constable. "CM Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the unfortunate death of Constable Suresh Vats in Ghazipur in a stone-pelting incident," the chief minister office said.

Mahipal Pathak, CO, Sadar: He(Constable Suresh Vats) was returning after completing his duty at the PM event today.Some ppl from Nishad community were protesting near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area where stone pelting incident took place during which he was hit.#Ghazipur pic.twitter.com/vesUmxIXfn

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018 

The Congress slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the death, alleging that in Yogi Adityanath's "jungle rule" neither the people are safe, nor the police. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed: "In Adityanath's grand jungle rule, neither the people were safe, nor the police." "Today in Ghazipur after Modi ji's rally, a mob mercilessly killed police constable Suresh Vats," he tweeted. 

"Democracy in BJP rule=mobocracy," he added. 

On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr district apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, police inspector Singh and 20-year-old man Sumit Kumar died of gunshot wounds.

Singh had gone for a search operation following specific inputs about stone pelting in the region and fell unconscious after a stone hit his head. While being rushed to the hospital an angry mob again attacked his vehicle. While other policemen in the Jeep fled the spot, Singh was allegedly shot dead by Army jawan Jitendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji. He was later arrested.

On Thursday, the police arrested another accused from the Bulandshahr-Noida border involved in the murder case. Bulandshahar's Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhakar Chaudhary said the accused, identified as Prashant Nutt, is being interrogated and confessed of shooting Singh. However, the weapon of the killing, a pistol is yet to be recovered, Chaudhary added.