Close on heels of an attack on a police party and torching of a police out-post in Ghazirpur following the death of a youth in police custody on Monday, a mob in Jaunpur went on the rampage torched several vehicles including that of an Inspector and a SDM. They were demanding adequate compensation for victims of a road mishap.
The frenzied mob held the administration to ransom for several hours and blocked the busy lucknow-Varanasi highway for more than five hours causing huge traffic snarl on Tuesday.
As per reports, Mahesh Gupta (21) of Uchlikala area of Madiyahoon was going on a bike with a villager Raj Kumar (20) on Monday night. Their bike was knocked down by a speeding private bus which left the bikers with critical injuries. The victims were taken to a near-by hospital from where they were referred to Medical College in Varanasi early Tuesday. But both succumbed to their injuries on way to Varanasi.
As the news of their death spread, thousands of locals took to the highway on Tuesday morning. They placed the bodies on the highway at Uchlikala crossing and blocked traffic. They demanded that senior officers reach the spot and compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased be given.
When the cops tried to clear the blockade and sed the bodies for autopsy, the crowd became belligerent. The police used force at which the mob went on the rampage and pelted stones forcing the cops to scamper for shelter. later the crowd damaged several vehicles including the official vehicles of the Inspector and SDM.
After more than four hours, SP of Jaunpr, Balikaran Yadav reached the scene with additional force and somehow managed to convince the protesters. He promised to write to the government through the DM about the compensation as the amount was on the higher side. later a case was registered in this regard and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.