Village pradhan shot in Faizabad, clashes erupt

FAIZABAD: A village pradhan was shot dead in Faizabad on Monday evening while his two aides were critically injured when rivals sprayed bullets at them.


Police said, Dev Sharan Yadav (50), gram pradhan of Halle Dwarika village under Inayatnagar police station in Milkipur, was sitting outside his house with associates Satish (40) and Arjun (35) when unidentified assailants came on motorcycles and fired at them killing Yadav on the spot.

Satish and Arjun sustained gunshot injuries and were hospitalised. The murder sparked a clash in the village as supporters of Yadav attacked the house of the accused, Ishwar Dutt Misra and his relatives and indulged in arson.

Enraged by Yadav's murder, his family members and supporters attacked the house of Misra in the village and went on a rampage holding him responsible for the murder. The mob also attacked Misra's relatives in the village and set ablaze a portion of one house. Police rushed to the site and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the violent mob and brought the situation under control.

PAC personnel and police were deployed in the village to prevent further confrontation and escalation between the two sides. Residents said, the murder was a result of tussle for supremacy between the two communities.

IG Faizabad Sanjeev Gupta said investigations were under way to confirm if the incident had shades of a caste clash. "As per preliminary reports, the victim's family and supporters attacked the houses of the accused and his kin. But we will probe any caste clash angle," Gupta said.

Locals said Yadav had given application to police against Mishra on Sunday, stating there was threat to his life, but no preventive action was taken. While confirming sequence of events, Faizabad SSP, Ashish Tiwari said, "The two aides of slain pradhan were referred to Lucknow as their condition was critical."

On why police did not heed Yadav's complaint, the SSP said this will be probed and action will be taken against the guilty.