Two persons were killed and seven others were injured when two groups came to a head over encroachment of temple land in Deoria on Saturday morning. later, senior officials including SP Rakesh Shanker rushed to the spot and heavy police force was deployed to avert any exigency.
As per reports, villagers from Saraura area in Kotali Sadar area gathered and objected to the construction of a wall by petrol pump owner Hari Krishna Pandey and Chotelal Pandey adjacent to a temple. The agitators alleged that the pump owner was carrying out the construction with an intent to encroach temple land.
The matter took an ugly turn Hari Krishna and Chotelal backed by his supporters reached the spot, engaged in a heated argument with the villagers and even hurled abuses. later, the warringgroups clashed in which goons of the pump owner opened fire killing two villagers identified as Indrajit Kushwaha (22) and Ram Prabesh Rajbhar (26).
Besides the two deaths, seven others also suffered bullet injuries and had to be shifted to District Hospital where the condition of Narendra Pratap Singh aka Sanjay Singh, Satya Prakash Kushwaha and Ram Pravesh were stated to be critical. They were referred to Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur.
local residents claimed that they immediately informed the local police but they reached the spot only after two villagers were killed. The cops later arrested four assailants including pump owner Hari Krishna Pandey, Chote lal Pandey, Shamsher Ansari and Kamlesh Yadav. Two pistols, two rifles and other arms and ammunitions used in the violence were also recovered.
A Scorpio SUV (UO53BE-4700) and a Honda Amaze Car (UP53AB-6301) used by the assailants were also seized. A case was registered in this connection and the bodies were sent for autopsy.