Varanasi: Two Samajwadi Party MLAs, a district chief, 43 others named and 200 unidentified persons were booked on charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and assaulting a public servant by Karanda police following Wednesday’s violent clash in Katariya village.While SHO (Karanda) Santosh Kumar suffered a severe head injury, many others were injured when a group of villagers indulged in brick-batting on the arrival of an SP delegation to meet the family of a recently murdered girl.On the complaint of the SHO, an FIR was lodged under section 191(2) and 191(3) (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 190 (unlawful assembly), 109(1) (attempt to commit suicide with intent to prevent a public servant from discharging duty), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 125 (act endangering life), 132 (assault on public servant), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of BNS and also 7 CLA Act.A total of 46 named persons, including MLAs Jaikishan Sahu Jacky, Virendra Yadav and SP district president Gopal Yadav, Sunil Yadav, Manish Yadav, Anil Yadav, Panchu Yadav, Satya Yadav and around 200 unidentified persons, were made accused in this case.After the body of Nisha Sharma was found on Apr 15 near the Jamania-Dharammarpur Ganga river bridge, her father, Siyaram Sharma of Katariya village, lodged a murder case against Hariom Pandey and Abhishek Pandey. Police arrested Hariom Pandey on the same day.Thereafter, Samajwadi Party announced to send a 15-member delegation to the victim’s family on Apr 22. Before it, on Apr 21, Siyaram Sharma submitted an application before police alleging that an SP office memorandum dated Apr 20 contained false claims that his daughter was raped before being killed and her body dumped into the Ganga. Sharma mentioned that the contents were insulting for his deceased daughter and harming the family’s dignity, due to which resentment was brewing among villagers.When the delegation reached near the village, police made SP leaders aware that legal action had been taken in the case and that the victim’s family was satisfied with it. However, the delegation members, along with over 200 party supporters, tried to enter the village when cops asked them that only listed delegation members would be allowed to meet the family. When they tried to enter the village forcibly, police stopped them at Ambedkar Chowk of the village and brought the victim’s family there to facilitate the meeting.During the interaction between SP functionaries and the victim’s family, SP supporters allegedly made provocative remarks that led to violence. Following their initial investigation, police said that one Sunil Yadav initially hurled a stick, after which Anil Yadav started pelting bricks and stones. Police further alleged that supporters, led by those present at the scene, attacked with bricks, stones, lathis and sticks.In this violence, the SHO suffered a severe head injury and its video remained viral on social media. Police said that Abhinandan Singh alias Suraj and a woman from the same village also suffered serious head injuries. The SHO, who fell unconscious, was rushed to hospital while villagers later retaliated by pelting stones.The clash triggered panic in the village, with residents shutting doors and windows and shopkeepers in nearby markets pulling down shutters, police said. Bricks, stones and footwear were left scattered on the road, and public order was severely affected.Later, heavy police force from Nandganj, Rampur Manjha, Suhwal and Kotwali police stations was called in while Ghazipur SP Iraj Raja, ASP (City) Rakesh Mishra and other senior officials also reached the spot.
