UP: Boy killed in celebratory firing by SP workers

Muzaffarnagar/Lucknow, February 8

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav dismissed a superintendent of police and a sub-divisional magistrate on Monday after an 8-year-old boy was killed in celebratory firing by some workers of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Shamli district.

The victim, identified only Sami, was passing the Kairana area in a rickshaw when a stray bullet hit him, Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Jha said. SP workers were celebrating a party candidate’s victory in civic body elections.

The incident sparked protests as local residents blocked the Khatima-Panipat Highway.

Ten people, including the candidate’s husband, were booked in the incident. Three have been detained for questioning and some others are on the run, police said.

A police inspector was also suspended.

"Three persons have been taken into custody and are being questioned," IG (Law and Order) Bhagwan Swaroop said.

 "yadavakhilesh instructs CS to immediately remove SDM/DYSP from the district & disciplinary action to be taken against them," a tweet in the CMO said.

A SP MLA Nahid Hasan and his aides are suspected of having mistreated and threatened two crew of a leading English news channel who went to cover the incident tragedy and subsequent protests.

The cameraman was threatened into deleting the video he shot.

“They took my camera away and they also tried to remove the memory chip. I was asked to delete the footage, for this they even called their own photographer. They told me if you don't give the camera you know what we will do. Then their own photographers took my camera and deleted the footage we had shot," the video journalist said.

A senior SP leader said MLA Nahid Hasan has issued a notice to explain the incident. The newly-elected block head has been expelled from the party.

Opposition Bahujan Samaj Party and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders said they would raise the incident in both Houses of the state legislature. — PTI