UP: Deoria civic board chief, 5 others get life in jail for killing

The police filed a chargesheet against seven persons, including Uma Shankar Singh alias Uma Singh, who is the current chairman of Barhaj Nagar Palika. Except for Satya Prakash, one of those named in the chargesheet, the others were out on bail.

“On Friday, all the remaining six accused appeared before the court of District Judge Ravi Nath. The court sentenced Uma Shankar Singh and five others to life. One of them, Manoj Singh, was acquitted for want of evidence,” Rajesh Kumar Mishra, district government counsel, said.

He added that once the quantum of sentence was handed down, all the five convicts were taken into custody and later put behind bars. In all, the statements of 12 witnesses were examined by the court in connection with the case.
Mishra said the case in question dates back to June 23, 2014 when Tiwari was at the power station to file a complaint over lack of power supply to his residence.

He added that the corporator was standing outside the power station when three of the accused arrived at the spot and opened fire on him.

Even as the attackers fled the spot, some locals, hearing gunshots, came rushing and got the official admitted to a nearby hospital. However, he succumbed during treatment.

Getting word of his death, the locals had erupted in protest demanding action against the culprits. Mishra said the corporator was vocal against people involved in corrupt practices such as spurious liquor trade and gambling.
He had even lodged complaints against such persons, thereby fuelling enmity with them. The victim’s father, Krishna Kant Tiwari, got an FIR filed against five persons, including the civic board chairman, by name as well as two unidentified persons.