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Deoria Bloodshed: Villagers lock homes & flee amidst intensive police searches in Fatehpur
The situation has prompted male residents to flee the village, while others are now following suit due to intensive police raids and house searches, instilling fear within the community.
Gorakhpur Deoria’s Fatehpur village remains gripped by tension, even four days after a violent clash claimed the lives of six individuals, including five members of a single family. The situation has prompted male residents to flee the village, while others are now following suit due to intensive police raids and house searches, instilling fear within the community.
The turmoil in Fatehpur village began on Monday when former zila panchayat member Prem Chand Yadav was allegedly murdered by Satya Prakash Dubey in a dispute over land. In retaliation, the Yadav family took the law into their own hands, resulting in the deaths of five members of the Dubey family. The situation escalated further as an enraged mob vandalised vehicles and set cattle sheds ablaze.
Mass Exodus: Residents Flee As Fear Grips Village
In response to the police crackdown, villagers are hastily locking their homes and relocating to safer areas. On Thursday alone, 30 houses were found deserted, marking a significant evacuation trend. Police personnel are conducting rigorous interrogations of every villager, with reports of restricted access to the Yadav family, blamed for the daughter of Prem Chand Yadav.
Officials Suspended as Local MLA Demands Accountability
In a stern move, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has suspended over a dozen officials for dereliction of duty, as stated by Deoria BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi. Tripathi had demanded swift action against errant officials and raised serious allegations against local authorities in a letter to the CM.
Tripathi highlighted the insensitivity of the police and their repeated failures in handling the escalating tension between Satya Prakash Dubey and Prem Chand Yadav’s family. The police’s shortcomings are further evidenced by lapses in filing FIRs, which included the names of the deceased individuals, including three sons of freedom fighter Brij Narayan Chumman Dubey, a resident of the neighbouring village of Kehuniya, affiliated with the Dubey family.
Daughter of Deceased Demands Security
Shobhita Dubey, the daughter of the deceased Satya Prakash Dubey, has voiced concerns about her brother’s safety and expressed apprehensions that the Yadav family might target them if the police withdraw from the village.
Widow’s Plea for Justice Amid Desolation
On the other side, Sheela Devi, the widow of Prem Chand Yadav, has lamented the lack of attention to her plight and demanded justice for her family. She emphasised that if the police were to demolish her home, she would be left with no choice but to take her own life, as her daughters have been orphaned by the tragic incident.
