Cop suspended over villagers protest after death in assault case

Lucknow: The death of a 22-year-old man injured in an alleged assault over a land dispute triggered a massive protest and a seven-hour road blockade in Lotan area of Siddharthnagar during which angry villagers chased police personnel and demanded action.

The station house officer (SHO) was later suspended on Friday.Sandeep Yadav of Kolhua village was injured in a clash on Apr 24, reportedly linked to a disputed land deal. He was undergoing treatment at a local medical college and was being referred to Lucknow when he died late on Wednesday night.Following his death, family members and villagers placed the body on the main road near Lotan police station, blocking the route connecting Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar.

The protest, which began in the morning, swelled into a large gathering, disrupting traffic and leaving commuters stranded for hours.Police from multiple stations and senior officers reached the spot to control the situation. However, tension escalated, and the crowd chased SHO Dinesh Kumar Saroj and a sub-inspector. The SHO reportedly took shelter inside the police station.After prolonged negotiations, an FIR was registered against 13 named accused and five unidentified persons under charges including culpable homicide.

The protest ended after police assured swift arrests and handed over a copy of the FIR to the family. The body was then sent for postmortem examination.Superintendent of police, Siddharthnagar, Abhishek Mahajan suspended the SHO for alleged negligence and appointed a new officer in-charge.Family members alleged that earlier complaints were ignored, claiming timely police action could have prevented the death.