GJAZIAPUR: Tension gripped Ghazipur following the killing of murder accused Kamlesh Bind in a police encounter, with a large crowd allegedly pelting stones at a police party escorting his body for cremation, leaving several officers, including a Circle Officer (CO) and Station House Officer (SHO), injured.
The violence broke out late on Thursday night and continued for nearly 40 minutes. Police teams from multiple stations and personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) were deployed to bring the situation under control. The area was subsequently placed under a heavy security blanket.
Vaibhav Krishna, DIG of Varanasi Range, reached the site around midnight and conducted a flag march using torches in the dark. He also inspected the scene and reviewed the situation with officials.
Vineet Rai, 29, son of hotelier Alok Rai, was shot dead on the night of May 29-30. According to investigators, four masked assailants arrived on two motorcycles, allegedly posing as customers seeking to purchase beer.
The attack took place at around 4 a.m. as Vineet was approaching his car, when the assailants allegedly opened fire using two pistols.
The attackers also allegedly chased a security guard, who managed to escape. After firing into the air, they fled the scene. Vineet was taken to a medical college hospital, where he died during treatment.
Police have so far registered a case against six named individuals, including Kamlesh's brother and sister-in-law, along with 40 to 50 unidentified persons.
Meanwhile, Ghazipur SP Iraj Raja also visited the scene and issued a stern warning to troublemakers, saying those involved in the violence would be dealt with strictly. Every individual who allegedly pelted stones at the police would face the strongest possible action. The National Security Act (NSA) would also be invoked where necessary.
Kamlesh Bind, who was killed in the encounter, was among the four assailants allegedly involved in the murder of Vineet Rai. Following the incident, Alok Rai submitted a police complaint naming Katra Gang leader Shankar Pandey, Sonu Yadav, Kamlesh Bind and Monu Tripathi as the main accused in his son's murder. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR against all those named.
Meanwhile, a non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against Shankar Pandey. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court directed Ghazipur Police to produce him before the court by June 25. The warrant, however, relates to a separate five-year-old student murder case.
On the night of June 3, police shot Kamlesh Bind, a resident of Goda village in Sohilapur, dead during an encounter. A reward of ₹1 lakh had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
The remaining accused in the Vineet Rai murder case, Shankar Pandey, who carries a reward of ₹1 lakh, and Sonu Yadav and Monu Tripathi, who each carry rewards of ₹50,000, remain at large.
According to police records, Kamlesh had seven criminal cases registered against him, including charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, criminal intimidation and violations of the Arms Act. His first criminal case was registered in 2017.
Late on Thursday evening, family members took Kamlesh's body for cremation at a site approximately five kilometres from the village. Women in the family initially carried the bier before the body was placed in a pickup vehicle. Police personnel accompanied the procession.
After travelling around 500 metres, protesters stopped near the Phullanpur railway crossing and placed the body on the road. The crowd then began accusing the police of staging a fake encounter.
According to local sources, police attempted to calm the protesters, but the situation escalated as they allegedly resorted to pushing and shoving, followed by large-scale stone pelting.
Stones were allegedly thrown from multiple directions, forcing police personnel to seek cover. Some officers reportedly took shelter inside a nearby bank building.
CO Shekhar Sengar and Sadar Kotwali SHO Pramod Singh were seriously injured in the incident. CO Sengar's driver, Shashikant Pandey, also sustained injuries to his shoulder and back.
Police eventually dispersed the crowd and took custody of the body before transporting it to the cremation ground. Kamlesh's elder brother, Sanjay Kumar Bind, lit the funeral pyre.
The non-bailable warrant against Shankar Pandey was issued in connection with a separate student murder case. When neither Shankar nor his lawyer appeared in court, the prosecution informed CJM Shakti Singh that the accused was also wanted in another murder case. The court subsequently issued the warrant.
According to police, Shankar Pandey is a notorious criminal who heads the Katra Gang. Officials claim the gang is involved in extortion, criminal intimidation, robbery and violent attacks. Police allege the gang operates through a WhatsApp group where instructions are circulated before crimes are carried out.
Hotelier Alok Rai claimed Shankar Pandey had been demanding ₹1 crore in protection money for the past two years.
