Constable shot dead during raid
Police party acting on complaint about gun-brandishing procession attacked; SO suspended
AGRA : Close on the heels of the demoralising murder of two policemen in Firozabad last month, yet another constable was killed here on Wednesday night in a more or less similar situation, during a search raid in Bamroli Aheer village.
Station officer of Malpura police station CP Singh has been suspended and even named in one of the two FIRs lodged. In another FIR, criminal Lakhan Yadav has been named along with others.
The incident took place in Bamrauli Ahir where a police team from Malpura police station arrived for a search operation on Wednesday night, acting on a complaint about a large procession taken out by notorious criminal Lakhan Singh with weapons being flaunted, police said.
As the police team led by station officer CP Singh reached the village, which has a history of violent clashes and murders, it was attacked and policemen were beaten up. Before they could understand the situation, constable Pradip Yadav was shot dead, as Lakhan Yadav took strong objection to the raid.
Lakhan Yadav had grown stronger as he developed contacts while being in Agra and Bharatpur jail and was threatening opponents after being released on bail about a fortnight ago but the local police station in-charge was allegedly taking all these developments lightly and was said to be casual in the raid.
The angry family of the killed cop demanded suspension and registration of a case of murder against the station officer.
“Two FIRs have been lodged, one on allegations by family members of Pradeep Yadav. In this FIR, station officer CP Singh has been named as accused. He has also been suspended,” said deputy inspector general of police, Agra Range, Vijay Singh Meena.
“Another FIR has been lodged against the accused Lakhan Singh and others and a few of his associates have been rounded up for interrogation. Police teams have been constituted to nab the culprits,” said Meena, adding that ` 20 lakh had been declared as compensation for the family of the slain policeman, including ` 10 lakh from the chief minister.