The woman and her daughter set themselves on fire in front of the police (Representational)
Kanpur:
A 45-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter were killed in a fire at a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat district during an anti-encroachment drive on Monday. While the police say that the two set themselves on fire, their families claim that it was the policemen who set their hut on fire while the women were inside, resulting in the deaths.
The incident took place at Madauli village in Rura area of the district where the police, district administration and revenue officials had gone to remove encroachments from a “gram samaj” or government land, a police official said.
The villagers say that the officials arrived with bulldozers in the morning and they were not given any prior notice.
Shivam Dixit said, “They opened fire when people were inside. We just managed to escape. They ransacked our temple. Nobody did anything, not even the DM (District Magistrate). Everyone ran, no one could save my mother.” ,
However, the police say that Pramila Dixit and her daughter Neha set themselves on fire. Rura Station House Officer (SHO) Dinesh Gautam and Pramila’s husband Gendan Lal sustained burn injuries while trying to save the victims, a police official said.
“From what we have come to know, a woman and her daughter locked themselves inside the hut and set it on fire, due to which they died. We have reached the spot. All concerned officials are also here. We will investigate And if you do.” “There is any wrongdoing, we will not spare the culprits,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) BBGTS Murthy.
Murthy said, “Whenever there is an anti-encroachment drive, a video is shot. We have sought the video and will examine it.”
After the death, there is tension between the villagers and the police in the area. The villagers threw bricks at the police, who left the spot. The villagers are demanding registration of a First Information Report or FIR against Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Maitha) Gyaneshwar Prasad, Lekhpal Singh and others for the alleged murder.
Additional Director General of Police (Kanpur Zone) Alok Singh, along with Divisional Commissioner Raj Shekhar, visited the village to pacify the mob. Top officials say that action will be taken against whoever is found responsible.
The Samajwadi Party blamed the “insensitive” administration for the “murders”.
In the Yogi (Adityanath) government, Brahmin families are targeted and such incidents are happening selectively. Like Dalits and OBCs, Brahmins are also the target of Yogi government’s atrocities.