4 cops injured in stone-pelting, 64 booked in clash over Ambedkar statue removal in Amethi

Lucknow: Tension prevailed in Narharpur village of Amethi after the district administration removed a platform where a statue of BR Ambedkar was installed, allegedly after encroaching on public land.

The situation turned violent when villagers resorted to stone-pelting, leaving four policemen injured. In a crackdown, police lodged FIR against 64 and arrested nine people.

The dispute originated over a piece of land recorded as reserved for disposal of animal carcasses. Some villagers allegedly constructed a platform and installed a statue of Ambedkar. Acting on complaints, a revenue team conducted a survey and found the construction to be unauthorised, following which the platform was demolished and the statue was shifted to a safe location.

However, tension escalated on Saturday when residents reportedly reinstalled the statue at the same spot. On receiving the information, Station house officer Krishna Mohan Singh reached the village with police and revenue officials and initiated action to remove the encroachment using an earth mover.

As the drive progressed, residents started pelting the police team with stones. In the violence, the station in-charge, an outpost in-charge, a woman constable and another policeman sustained injuries. Several villagers were also injured in the clash.

Police used mild force to disperse the crowd and restore order. Senior officials, including sub-divisional magistrate Ashish Singh, rushed to the spot with additional forces from nearby police stations. The injured personnel were taken to a community health centre for treatment.

Superintendent of police, Amethi, Sarvan T, said an FIR was lodged against 14 named and 50 unidentified people. Several suspects have been detained, and at least nine arrests have been made so far. Police are also examining video footage of the incident to identify others involved. He added that the site where the statue had been installed was a public property and had been encroached upon by a few villagers.

Allegations surfaced regarding the role of the current and former village heads in facilitating the construction. Former village head Reena Kori denied involvement, claiming that signatures on documents related to the statue installation were forged.

Heavy police deployment was made in the village as a precautionary measure. Officials assured strict action against those involved, stating that no unauthorised construction would be allowed on public land.
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