Ram Vriksh Yadav, the chief of the violent encroachers in Jawahar Bagh, is among those killed in the clashes, police said on Saturday as the toll mounted to 27 with three more persons succumbing to injuries. IG (law and Order) HR Sharma said Yadav was among the 11 who were charred to death in the fire that was caused by gas cylinder explosions set off by the encroachers.
Uttar Pradesh DGP Javed Ahmed tweeted that the body of Yadav and some others have been identified by his associates and his family has been intimated for confirmation.
60-year-old Yadav was the leader of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, an outfit claiming to owe allegiance to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Yadav and his supporters had encroached on Jawahar Bagh area for two years and clashed with police on Thursday when they tried to evict them.
The death toll has risen to 27 with three more among the injured encroachers succumbing, IG (Agra) Durga Chandra Mishra said. Chief Medical Officer Vivek Mishra said several other bodies have not been identified as yet. The bodies have to be kept for 72 hours in the mortuary, which will end on Sunday evening, and later postmortem will be done, he said. 18 bodies are in Mathura district centre and seven in Agra, he said.
Tight security arrangements remained in place with police preventing BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini, who led a protest by the party, from entering the violence-hit area, citing combing operation.
Sharma said the situation “is normal in Mathura and the ground has been cleared”.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav raised compensation to the next of kin of the two slain police officers from Rs20 lakh to Rs50 lakh even as Opposition stepped up attack on him, questioning why he did not visit Mathura.