Mother-daughter duo burnt in fire during demolition drive in UP, probe ordered
Officials arrived with a bulldozer, they were not given any prior notice, villagers said.
Kanpur, February 14: A mother-daughter duo were burnt alive during an anti-encroachment drive at a village in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The 45-year-old woman and her daughter, 20, died in a fire during an anti-encroachment drive.
When questions were asked, the police claimed that they had set themselves on fire, but the family members of the deceased differed. The family members said, the cops who came for the demolition drive set their hut on fire. Later, it was discovered that the two women were inside the hut, which then resulted in their death.
The police have now registered a murder case against 13 people. The charges are registered against the subdivisional magistrate, the station house officer and the bulldozer operator. They have also been charged with attempt to murder and voluntarily causing hurt.
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The incident took place on Monday, in the Madauli village where the police, district administration and revenue officials removed encroachments from a "gram samaj" or government land, a police official said.
While investigation was on, the villagers said that the officials arrived in the morning with a bulldozer and they were not given any prior notice.
"They started the fire while people were still inside. We were just about able to escape. They broke our temple. Nobody did anything, not even the DM (District Magistrate). Everybody ran, nobody could save my mother," said Shivam Dixit.
Local police yesterday claimed that Pramila Dixit and her daughter Neha set themselves on fire. Station House Officer Dinesh Gautam and Pramila's husband, Gendan Lal, sustained burn injuries when they tried to save the victims, a police officer said.
"From what we are getting to know, a woman and her daughter locked themselves inside the hut and set it on fire, which has resulted in their death. We have reached the spot. All the officials concerned are also here. We will investigate and if there is any wrongdoing, we won't spare the guilty," said Superintendent of Police (SP) BBGTS Murthy.
