BJP worker's death: UP govt suspends District Magistrate, SP

Lucknow: Taking serious note of the death of a BJP supporter during a clash between party workers and police in Narhi area, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police for alleged dereliction of duty.

"Ballia District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar and SP M. K. Jha were suspended by the government late on Saturday night," an official spokesman said.

The trouble started after five cows were recovered from a vehicle on Friday during a routine checking, following which an FIR was registered against BJP worker Chandrama Yadav and another person.

Thereafter, BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari and his supporters, including Yadav, staged a dharna in front of Narhi police station to protest the registration of the FIR, police said.

Efforts were made to pacify the MLA and his supporters but they did not relent and when police tried to evict them, they indulged in stone pelting.

The police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd.

District BJP chief Vinod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers, leading to the death of BJP worker Vinod Rai (38) and injury to 50 others.

Besides the BJP MLA, an FIR has been registered against 43 named persons and 300-400 unnamed persons in the incident, the spokesman said.

An FIR was also registered against Ballia ADM Bache Lal Maurya, and 11 policemen including Narhi station officer Rajesh on complaint of BJP worker Gopal Rai's, he said.

Sub Inspector at Narhi police station Rajesh Yadav was earlier put under suspension, he said.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry ordered into the incident.