Cops probing elopement case set fire to house,kill one

Taking serious note of the incident,Fatehpur SP Ram Bharosey suspended four policemen — Sub-Inspector Shiv Prasad and constables Mahendra Kumar,Vijay Singh and Naseem. All four were posted at Shah police outpost under Gajipur police station.

On March 3,a girl,identified as Manju,reportedly eloped with a local youth,Sanjay Dixit alias Prinshu. On March 5,Manju’s father,Suresh Vishwakarma,filed a complaint claiming that his daughter was a minor and Sanjay had kidnapped her.

On Thursday night,the four policemen raided Sanjay’s residence but did not find the couple there. They then went to the house of Lalta Prasad Dixit,who is related to Sanjay. When the family members locked themselves in,the police,along with some locals,reportedly set the house on fire.

While Lalta and Anil,who were inside the house,got trapped in the fire,Ram Kali,who was on the verandah,managed to escape with minor injuries.

Following a complaint filed by Ram Kali,the Gajipur police has lodged an FIR on charges of murder,attempt to murder,arson,causing mischief by fire or explosive substance,criminal intimidation,and intentional intent to provoke breach of peace against the four policemen and 13 villagers. “We got trapped inside. Rather than helping us,the policemen ran away,” said Anil. “Some villagers came to our rescue,and on the advice of doctors at Fatehpur,they brought me to LLR Hospital,” he said.