UP: Journalist's mother dies after being set ablaze by two cops in Barabanki

Barabanki: The mother of a journalist died after being set ablaze at Kothi police station on Monday in Barabanki allegedly by two policemen after she refused to “bribe” them to free her husband, prompting authorities to suspend the two officials and register a case against them. [caption id=“attachment_2329858” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] But the policemen have denied the charge, saying that the woman had immolated herself. Nitu Dwivedi was rushed to district hospital in Barabanki and later referred to a Lucknow hospital’s trauma centre. Superintendent of Police Abdul Hamid ordered suspension of police station in-charge and sub-inspector against whom cases have been lodged under various sections of the IPC. Additional police force has been deployed in the area in view of tension over the incident. The woman, in her statement before a Magistrate and media, alleged that she was abused and humiliated when she refused to meet the demand of Rs one lakh for freeing her husband. The visuals of the woman, whose son is associated with a Hindi daily, went viral on the electronic media as the incident took place barely a month after journalist Jagendra Singh was set on fire allegedly by some UP policemen in Shahjahanpur district. According to the police, Nitu had gone to inquire about her husband Ram Narain, who was taken into custody on Saturday. They said that station in-charge Ram Saheb Singh Yadav and sub-inspector Akhilesh Rai allegedly humiliated, abused and chased her away. In a fit of rage, she sprinkled petrol and set herself on fire at the gate of the police station, police said adding that she was rushed to district hospital in a serious condition. Police said Ram Narain was brought to the police station on Saturday night for questioning in connection with firing over eve teasing in Gaha village in Barabanki. The victim’s son said the following-

We want justice, my mother will only rest in peace when the guilty are punished: Barabanki incident's victim’s son pic.twitter.com/e1xG6jqQyf

— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2015

When asked for comments, ruling Samajwadi Party leader and UP minister Shivpal Yadav said the entire incident will be probed and strict action will be taken against the guilty. Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire on 1 June during a police raid at his house at Awas Vikas colony in Sadar Bazar area of Shahjahanpur. He died during treatment at a hospital in Lucknow on 8 June. Singh’s family had lodged a complaint with the police against UP minister Ram Murti Verma and five others, including policemen, at Puwayan police station of Shahjahanpur. An FIR was registered against Verma and others under sections 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 504 intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. The video footage of dying declaration, which went viral on news channels and social media, showed Singh saying, “Why did they have to burn me? If the minister and his goons had a grudge, they could have beaten me instead of pouring kerosene and burning me.” The journalist had invited Verma’s ire by posting reports on Facebook about illegal mining activities and land grabbing against the minister. A public interest litigation (PIL) has also been filed in the Allahabad High Court seeking directions for CBI probe and strict action against erring persons. The Uttar Pradesh government has announced an aid of Rs 30 lakh, two government jobs and an “impartial” probe into the killing of the journalist. PTI