large scale violence rocked Azamgarh when former MlA and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader along with his associate and one another were sprayed with bullets in a sensational broad daylight shoot-out on Friday.
Agitated with the incident, thousands of his supporters and local villagers took road and fought pitch battle with the local police opening firing at each others, besides torching at least three dozen of vehicles including the local police station and also snatched the rifles of the cops. They kept the body of the victims on road and demanded arrest of incharge of local police station and to book him in murder case alleging that he was part of well orchestrated conspiracy to eliminate the former MlA. Sources said that while at least one more person was killed, over two dozen persons were injured in the firing and arson out of which condition of five has been stated critical and they were rushed to Varanasi.
Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, condemned the incident and said that stern action will be taken against all those who were found guilty. He also warned the cops for their slackness and directed them to arrest the accused at earliest. He also asked Additional Director General (law and Order) Arun Kumar to rush to the spot and restore normalcy. IG (law and order) RK Vishwakarma, while briefing the media persons here on Friday evening said that police force from adjoining districts which included 10 Dy SPs, 16 sub- inspectors, already reached the spot and IG (Varanasi Zone)Gl Meena is camping to restore peace in the area. He said that they also dispatched additional companies of para- military force along with jawans of 4 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary to help the local police in maintaining law and order situation. He said that they ordered a probe by the Special Tassk Force(STF) and has also recommended a magistrate probe into the mob clash and police firing. The IG(law and Order) said prima facie the murder seems to be a result due political rivalry between Sarvesh Singh and a criminal Pantu Singh, presently lodged in the Varanasi jail in around a dozen of crimes.
However on the other hand the supporters of the deceased blamed the police for the murder as the ex-MlA was returning from the police station when he was murdered and police had refused to provide him security even after several request by the BSP leader. Some of the supporters also pointed out about the rivalry between the present Samajwadi party MlA and minister Durga Prasad Yadav and the deceased during the 2012 assembly elections. Both of them contested from Azamgarh sadar assembly seat but Yadav won. Sarvesh Singh belonged to a political family. His father former- Minister Rampayre Singh was a two time Samajwadi Party MlA. Reports said that Sarvesh Singh alias Seepu Singh, who remained Samajwadi Party MlA from Sagri constituency in Azamgarh during it’s last regime had parted ways with the Party after exit of Amar Singh and had joined Bajujan Samaj Party. He contested last Assembly elections from Sadar seat in Azamgarh on BSP ticket but lost the battle.
On Friday morning, he was summoned to the local Jiyanpur police station by it’s incharge Vijay Singh, in connection with some property dispute. However, RK Vishwakarma said that Sarvesh went to the police station along wih his friend Narad Rai, to complain about a person who took away Rs 80,000 for the admission of the daughter of Narad Rai in the B Ed course. He claimed that when they were returning, three motorcycle borne miscreants rounded them and suddenly opened fire burst, killing Sarvesh, along with Narad and one another identified as Jitendra Gupta, a resident of same area. The accused later fled from scene of crime. The news of death of Sarvesh Singh, went like a wild fire in the entire city and within no time thousands of villagers came on road. Alleging the dubious role of local police and involvement of SHO, Vijay Singh in the killing, they attacked the police station and burnt several vehicles. When the cops fired tear gas shells, the miscreants hurled bombs which injured several persons.
The situation further worsened when the SSP Azamgarh, Arvind Sen, who reached the spot was also attacked with bombs but luckily he received pellet injuries on his leg. later the cops also retaliated and opened fire in which several villagers were injured and at least one of them was also reportedly killed.Reports said that finding the entire city burning, SSP Azamgarh summoned more force from neighbouring districts and also alerted the top bosses who rushed to the spot to took the command in their hand. However incidents of firing and stone pelting continued till the time of filing this report. The agitated crowd put the bodies of the victims on the road and held the local police responsible for the former MlA’s death. They claimed that the former MlA had sought security several times particularly after two of the supari killers were arrested in lucknow last year and had disclosed that they were hired to eliminate the former MlA reportedly by one local gangster identified as Pantu Singh. However, the present Samajwadi Party government turned down his plea citing that the former MlA faces no threat. They claimed that now the miscreants succeeded just as the state government facilitated them to freely kill the former MlA.