18 cops suspended for UP courtroom murder

Incidents like Bijnor will also not be tolerated. -YOGI ADITYANATH

A day after a murder accused was shot dead inside a courtroom, the Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday said it has suspended 18 police officials.

A senior Bijnore police source said, "Yes, 18 policemen have been suspended over the killing of a murder accused inside the court room."

According to UP police, Shahnawaz Ansari, accused of killing two people, was shot dead by three men inside the court. The shooting happened on Tuesday afternoon as the prisoner, was being produced in front of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at the Bijnore district court.

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday took suo moto cognizance of the matter. It sought a reply from the Director General of Police (DGP) and the principal

Home Secretary on this by December 20. The court has also asked the state government to produce its safety plan for the district courts.

The bench, comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Sunit Kumar, said that the government must give a security plan for the court premises.

Under flak from the opposition over the shooting and the failure of the law and order system in UP, CM Yogi Adityanath slammed the opposition, saying that UP law and order is best. "The Unnao case and Bijnor are unfortunate. The government is working seriously on issues relating to crime against women. Incidents like Bijnor will also not be tolerated," he said. "We have prepared a work plan for the security at courts and the judiciary. We are duty bound to ensure the security of every institution and citizen."