Unhappy over the performance of the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday issued marching orders to additional director general (ADG) STF, Shailja Kant Mishra.
The chief minister also expressed her displeasure with the Lucknow police. While Mishra has been shifted to the insignificant police wing of the UP Power Corporation, the STF has been brought under the control of ADG (law and order) Brijlal.
The chief minister’s Principal Secretary Shailesh Krishna said, “This arrangement has been made for better operational purposes.”
During her visit to the Lucknow blast site in the civil court premises on Friday night, Mayawati also reprimanded the local police officers. The chief minister also reviewed the law and order situation.
Talking to newspersons here on Saturday, the Principal Secretary (Home) JN Chamber repeated that the state government had received no input from the Centre’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) about terrorist strikes.
The CM, who had announced ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each to families of blasts victims, enhanced the amount to Rs 5 lakh. Those seriously injured would now get Rs 1 lakh and a payment of Rs 50,000 would be given to those who sustained minor injuries, Chamber said, adding that all districts had been put on high alert.
{{/usCountry}}The CM, who had announced ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each to families of blasts victims, enhanced the amount to Rs 5 lakh. Those seriously injured would now get Rs 1 lakh and a payment of Rs 50,000 would be given to those who sustained minor injuries, Chamber said, adding that all districts had been put on high alert.
{{/usCountry}}Chamber said in view of reports that terrorists had targeted advocates because they had beaten up some militants recently and refused to take up their cases in court, the police had further tightened security in court premises.
DGP Vikram Singh told journalists in Varanasi that the terror outfit behind the blasts had been identified, but he declined to reveal its name. He said STF’s technical wing started investigating the blasts and found that similar detonators and explosives were used in Faizabad, Lucknow and Varanasi. He said ammonium nitrate was possibly used for detonating the blasts.