Sonbhadra firing: SP workers detained ahead of Yogi's visit to district

Many Samajwadi Party (SP) workers were detained by the police on Sunday ahead of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh where 10 people were gunned down over a land dispute a few days ago.

"SP workers are being picked up from their houses and detained by the police ahead of Yogi Adityanath's visit to muzzle our voices. This is being done on BJP government's instructions so that the truth can not come into the fore," a local SP leader, who was detained, said here.

It is noteworthy that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) enforced in the village where the firing incident took place.

Terming the "massacre" a testament to the government's failure, he said that the party leaders were earlier stopped to visit the village and alleged that the administration was allowing BJP workers to go there.

He said, "Despite Section 144 is in place, BJP MLA and other BJP workers visited the village yesterday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to meet family members of the deceased and those injured in the incident.

Ten people including women were killed, while over 20 sustained injuries when a village headman and his associates allegedly opened fire at a group of people over a land dispute at Ubbha village in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh on July 17. The incident took place when the village headman went to take possession of his land purchased two years ago.

Twenty-nine people have been arrested and four officials have been suspended in connection with the incident. "Till now, 29 criminals have been arrested. A single barrel gun, three double-barrel guns and a rifle have been seized. Whoever is found responsible for this incident, strictest action will be taken against them," CM Yogi Adityanath had said at a press conference.

A compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased was distributed by District Magistrate Ankit Agarwal on Saturday.

Congress's east UP general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who met the families of the victims after a high voltage political drama, announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

-ANI