Uttar Pradesh: Pratapgarh SP removed after VHP leader’s murder

BJP leader and state minister Swati Singh, who went to meet the family of 36-year-old VHP leader, failed to pacify them and had to return amid sloganeering by the VHP leader’s supporters.

“My brother was a VHP leader, but no one in the government bothered about his family. We will not cremate the body till our demands are not met. In the morning, minister Swati Singh visited our house, but did not give any assurance on our demands. She told us that she will request Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to fulfill our demands,” said the VHP leader’s brother Lavlesh.

The family has been staging protest since Tuesday morning. Earlier in the day, they had put the body outside their house at Kalikapur village. In the evening, the family took the body outside the district court where the protest was going on till the filing of the report.

“We have brought the body to the court and lawyers have also joined our protest. Police officials are trying to convince us, but we will cremate the body only after our demands are met,” Lavlesh added.

Meanwhile, based on the family’s complaint, police booked four residents — Mahendra, Mustafa, Rauf and Sameer — for murder and criminal conspiracy.

As per the complaint filed by Lavlesh, his brother left for the court on Monday morning when Mahendra met him near Derwa market and sought lift on his motorcycle. “When they reached Sonpur, Mahendra asked my brother to stop the vehicle as he wanted to relieve himself. Meanwhile, Mustafa, Rauf and Sameer reached there and opened fired at my brother causing his death,” Lavlesh said.

“I was also riding another motorcycle and tailing my brother, but was few metres away when he was shot dead. All the four accused had developed enmity with my brother because he used to help police in getting the criminals arrested. All the four are involved in criminal activities,” Lavlesh added.

Mishra had suffered three bullet injuries, according to the police.

SP leader shot in Faizabad

Faizabad: A local Samajwadi Party leader was shot dead on Monday evening while he was working out at a gym near his house, police said. Akhilesh Yadav (30), a resident of Kanakpur village in Maharajganj police station area, was shot at point blank range by a person identified as Aditya Singh. He was rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, police said.

“Akhilesh Yadav and Aditya Singh had a dispute regarding the operation of a transport firm,” Faizabad SSP Ashish Tiwari said.