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Woman killed in cross-firing between UP police, Uttarakhand villagers in US Nagar
The Uttarakhand police have registered an FIR against UP police’s 10-12 personnel under murder and other relevant sections
A 28-year-old farmer’s wife was allegedly killed in an incident of cross-firing between Uttar Pradesh police and villagers of Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar in Kunda area on Wednesday evening.
Angry villagers blocked the national highway demanding action against UP police and budged only after the DIG insisted around midnight. A strong police battery has been deployed in the area on Thursday to avoid any untoward incident.
“Kunda police have registered an FIR against UP police’s 10-12 personnel under murder and other relevant sections on the complaint of deceased’s husband. UP Police had come here to nab a criminal with a bounty of ₹50,000, but didn’t inform local police,” said Manjunath TC, senior superintendent of police (SSP), US Nagar.
UP Police personnel from Thakurdwara of Moradabad district raided Gurtaj Singh Bhullar’s farm house in Bharatpur village under Kunda police station on Wednesday evening based on information that a mining mafia criminal Jafar had taken shelter there.
Jafar is wanted in connection with confinement of and misbehaviour with Thakurdwara SDM Parmanand Singh and mining inspector Ashok Kumar on September 13.
Police personnel in plain clothes raided Bharatpur, but villagers soon gathered, leading to a confrontation. Firing started from both sides, during which a bullet hit Gurtaj’s wife Gurpreet Kaur. She was rushed to a private hospital but doctors declared her dead on arrival. Gurtaj is the senior deputy block pramukh of Jaspur in US Nagar.
Moradabad SSP Hemant Kutiyal informed his US Nagar counterpart Manjunath TC about the confinement of UP police personnel by the villagers. Kunda police station officer Dinesh Fartyal then rushed to the spot with adequate force to release the police personnel.
According to UP Police, three personnel received injuries and have been admitted to the government hospital in Thakurdwara.
Meanwhile, Kunda police have registered an FIR against 10 unnamed UP Police personnel based on the complaint filed by Gurtaj.
“Ample police force has been deployed in Kunda to avoid any untoward situation since morning. Situation is normal,” Manjunath said.
“Our police personnel were looking for a wanted Jafar who has a bounty for ₹50,000. Police received information about his presence in Thakurdwara but he sneaked into Bharatpur. He and his companions kept police personnel hostage and fired at them,” Moradabad DIG Shalabh Mathur alleged.
