Cop killed in Amethi: Is the police too not safe in Uttar Pradesh?

A private dispute over royal property ended up claiming the life of a policeman in Amethi on Sunday. The mindless killing has once again drawn attention to the disappearing law and order system in the Uttar Pradesh and also has raised a question: Is the police even safe in Uttar Pradesh? The Amethi incident is just one more in a long string of incidents that has seen policemen being at the receiving end. They have been cornered and beaten up within a police station in Lucknow, chased and run over by criminals, slapped and injured by traffic rule violators and humiliated by criminals and petty politicians alike in various incidents all over the state. [caption id=“attachment_1713637” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image is for representation purpose only. AFP[/caption] The Amethi violence incident was the result of a family dispute where no public interest could possibly be involved. Yet, the police were there for both the grieved party and those who were against it - and the police was attacked by the mob. The killing of their colleague angered the policemen and then they ran amok, thrashing everyone – mediapersons, women, children, bystanders, patients going to hospital and others. Congress leader Sanjay Sinh, who also is a member of Rajya Sabha and his second wife Amita, have been locked in a dispute with his first wife Garima and their children over residential and ownership rights to ancestral palace Bhupati Bhawan and property of the erstwhile royal estate of Amethi. Just a few days ago, the Uttar Pradesh government had advised the police to stay away from civil and property disputes and focus more on law and order maintenance in the state. Sanjay Sinh is the adopted son of Rananjay Singh, the late ruler of erstwhile state of Amethi. Sanjay was married to Garima and the couple had three children Anant, Mahima and Shaivya. However, Sanjay Sinh has in the past alleged that his first wife Garima was “greedy” and “never became a good queen.” He has also alleged that he never had good relationship with Garima. Sanjay Sinh applied for divorce from Garima a few months after Syed Modi’s roadside murder in Lucknow in 1988, and married Amita, Syed Modi’s wife. Although Garima had alleged that she was unaware of the divorce and it was an ex-parte decision. On July 25, when Garima with her children (Anant, Mahima and Shaivya) had reached Sinh’s residence in Amethi, Bhupati Bhawan, she was stopped at the entrance by security guards and not allowed to enter the premise. Sinh’s second wife too intervened to stop them. One of Garima’s children, Anant, was caught and beaten up by the guards which infuriated the supporters gathered outside the palace. The violent mob turned its wrath against the palace guards and onlookers. There was firing from both sides but no casualty was reported. Since then Garima and the rest have been living in a part of the palace. Anant maintains that he and the people of Amethi have never accepted Amita as a rightful queen of Amethi estate. He also alleged that she was responsible for misuse of the palace and estate property. Anant also maintains that Garima and he faced threat to their lives from Amita and lodged a report with the Amethi police station. He added that the police and district administration were acting at the behest of Sinh. Garima is reported to have said that she kept waiting for justice for her children and had decided to come to the palace only recently. She also asserted that since she was not divorced from Sinh, she was still his lawfully wedded wife. He could come to the palace but Amita had no right over this property, she added. Amethi district officials said 18 people have been arrested in this case and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an ex-gratia compensation fo Rs 20 lakh to the slain constable. After the incident, Sinh and Amita were staying in the first floor of the palace. Sinh had been quite close to Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, and later also grew close to Rajiv Gandhi. Sanjay was a minister at the Centre for some time and became a member of the Rajya Sabha from Assam. Amita contested against Varun Gandhi in the recent Lok Sabha election and lost. According to Sinh, Garima “misled” Anant which resulted in the as a result of which the current dispute had arisen. If the statements of district and police officials are to be believed, Sanjay Sinh is telling the truth. But the people of Amethi are adamant to see only Anankt Vikram as the rightful heir to the estate. While tension continues in Amethi with a huge deployment of police and even paramilitary forces outside the Bhupati Bhawan, the confrontation over residential and ownership right in the palace threatens to draw the police resources even deeper into this private dispute.