BHOPAL: The personal security officer (PSO) and vehicle driver of an Uttar Pradesh minister were allegedly attacked by a group of local residents in broad daylight, in the minister's presence, in Gwalior district, Madhya Pradesh.
The incident happened on Friday evening when the UP minister of state for labour and employment Manohar Lal ‘Mannu Kori’ was on his vehicle from Agra to Lalitpur.
According to informed sources, a truck overturned near Jorasi Ghati, under the Bilauva police station area in Gwalior district, causing a severe traffic jam. Without waiting for the follow-up and pilot vehicles stuck in the congestion, the driver of the SUV carrying the minister decided to take a wrong turn and move ahead. The minister was on his way to attend a series of events in his native Lalitpur district of UP.
A short distance ahead on the same road, a motorbike carrying two men blocked the minister’s vehicle, leading to a noisy brawl between the men and the minister’s PSO.
Angered by the misconduct of the two men, the minister’s PSO stepped out of the vehicle and slapped one of them. This further escalated the situation, as the men, being local residents, called villagers for support, leading to a full-blown confrontation between both sides.
Around 8 to 10 men arrived at the scene and attacked the minister’s PSO and the vehicle driver. The attackers allegedly took the PSO's service pistol and continued to beat him up in public. The PSO sustained cuts to one of his fingers during the incident.
Upon learning of the incident, local police, led by senior officials including the IG, DIG of Gwalior, and the SP of Gwalior, arrived at the scene. A case was subsequently registered against the accused at the Bilauva police station in Gwalior late Friday evening.
“Four accused, who were primarily involved in the incident were traced and arrested promptly and the service gun of the minister’s PSO too was recovered. The minister left with proper escort vehicles in the night for Lalitpur district of UP,” SP of Gwalior district Dharmaveer Singh told TNIE on Saturday.
The accused, including Bunty Yadav, Kaptan Yadav, Bhola and Bhupendra have been booked for loot and assault.
The incident provided ammunition for opposition parties to target the MP government.
“The incident which happened with the UP minister and staff in Gwalior on Friday exposes the state of law and order in the state. The MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav, who is also the state’s home minister, should take immediate steps to ensure that there is fear of law and order among anti-social elements,” Aam Aadmi Party’s state spokesperson Ramakant Patel said.