Video of ex-kotedar shot dead in presence of cops goes viral

Incident occurred 5 days back; shared by UP Congress handle

LUCKNOW : The video of former kotedar (in-charge of sugar, kerosene and cereal in villages under public distribution system) being shot dead allegedly by a former pradhan and his aides in a Shahjahanpur village in the presence of some police personnel went viral on social media nearly five days after the incident on Sunday.

Police said the accused and the victim were close relatives and they had dispute over possession of land in Pipariya Udhaybhanpur village under Nigohi police station limits of Shahjahanpur district.

As per reports, the incident occurred on November 22, but the 44 second video went viral on Twitter after it was shared by the handle of UP Congress social media cell on November 27 questioning the law-and-order situation in the state.

The video shows former pradhan Mewa Ram and his aides firing with his licenced weapon in which former kotedar Radhey Shyam was killed. The incident reportedly happened in the presence of some police personnel who were trying to stop the women members of Radhey Shyam’s family from stone pelting.

Local sources said the dispute between the two groups over the land is going on for the past three years and the victim’s family were running for pillar to post to resolve the issue for past two weeks, but the police and other revenue officials took the matter very lightly.

The dispute escalated when Radhey Shyam started constructing a wall on Tuesday during which police personnel of UP112 police response vehicle reached the spot.

The video shows police personnel trying to stop the stone pelting and reportedly fled from the spot after firing from Mewa Ram and their aides. The assailants attacked women family members of the victim with canes when they tried to drag him after getting injured in the firing. The police personnel later returned with heavy police force but by then Radhey Shyam had died.

Shahjahanpur superintendent of police (SP) S Anand told media that an FIR of murder and creating ruckus was lodged against five people including the former pradhan and his sons on the complaint of the victim’s brother Hari Shankar.

He said the victim is the uncle of the former pradhan and they had dispute over the land on which the victim was building a wall on Tuesday morning when the incident happened. He said the former pradhan and two other accused were arrested on the same day and sent to jail while efforts were on to arrest two other accused.

HE VIDEO SHOWS FORMER PRADHAN MEWA RAM AND HIS AIDES FIRING WITH HIS LICENCED WEAPON IN WHICH FORMER KOTEDAR RADHEY SHYAM WAS KILLED.