Coming as another twist in the Saja firing incident, police has booked the villagers in the case on Thursday. A villager was shot and four, including sarpanch of the village, were injured in the firing.
Firing was reported from service rifle of a Central Industrial Security Force personnel during elections on November 19 in Bhendarwani, under Saja police station.
Case has been registered against the villagers for hindering Government work, involving in armed clash, attempting to take rifle from CISF personnel and misbehaving with Government employees.
“Action will be taken against the culprits after investigations,” said Parul Mathur, police commissioner of Bemetara. According to the police, the CISF personnel stopped a man from entering the polling booth for not being in queue, after which the villagers got into an argument with the jawan. In the heat of moment, the jawan hit a villager. This angered the villagers and over 150 of them surrounded the personnel. They even tried to snatch his riffle during which the misfire took place.
Resident of the village, Ashok, was shot and died on the spot while sarpanch Ram Avatar Verma, Dileshwar Sahu, Dilip lahri and a woman were injured in the incident. Another villager who was present at the spot, Raju Verma, fell unconscious and was admitted to district hospital, Durg. Treatment of other victims is undergoing in a Saja hospital.
A heavy force is positioned in the village. Investigations in the case have begun. Ashok’s body has been sent for post-mortem and reports will come in within a week.
Case has been registered against injured and some villagers under sections 147, 149, 323, 393, 353 and 186 of the IPC and investigations are underway.