Police fire in ‘self defence’, 4 dead

The administration has ordered an inquiry by the Divisional Commissioner (Gorakhpur) into the incident to be submitted within 48 hours, besides replacing two senior officials.

Kushinagar District Magistrate Ashish Goel and Superintendent of Police R.A. Gautam have been shifted and replaced by Jagannath Singh and Devdutt Mishra respectively, even as state Cabinet Minister Brahmashankar Tripathi and ADG (Law and Order) Bua Singh rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation, state Principal Secretary (Home) Anil Kumar said.

The in-charge of the Ramkola police station, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, has also been suspended, Kumar said, adding that the new DM and SP have taken charge.

He said one Lalji Mishra was sitting on a fast unto death to demand construction of the bridge since September 28 last. Trouble started when the police asked him to break his fast after his condition suddenly deteriorated.

However, irate villagers started pelting stones on police injuring a sub-inspector and three constables. To quell the mob, police opened fire in ‘‘self defence’’ killing three persons on the spot and injuring one seriously. The injured later died on way to the hospital. Kumar further said the kin of the deceased would be given an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each.