Chandigarh, May 7: A policeman was shot dead inside a court complex in Haryana's Bhiwani district on Monday, police said.

Head Constable Bhagirath, who was escorting a prisoner along with other policemen for a hearing at the court complex in Siwani town of Bhiwani district, nearly 300 km from here, was shot from close range by the assailants and died on the spot.

Panic gripped the court complex following the firing incident.The assailants, identified as Sumit and Manjit, were overpowered by other policemen and people at the court complex. 

Their third accomplice, Ajay Isherwal managed to escape.

Two prisoners and another policeman also received injuries in the firing.

Police said that the attack was part of inter-gang rivalry.

Bhagirath, posted in court security. was killed when three men belonging to Mithi gang opened fire at Sunil alias Kalia and at Jai Kumar alias Bhadar, both undertrials from a rival gang, during court proceedings in Siwani, a police spokesman said.

Two of the shooters, namely Sumit and Manjit of village Mithi, Bhiwani were detained by police but Ajay Isherwal managed to escape and efforts are on to arrest him, he added.

Haryana Director General of Police B.S. Sandhu said that the killing of the policeman was a major loss to the police department and announced financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh to the next-of-kin of the deceased.

He said that a job under special ex-gratia scheme would also be offered to one of his family members.

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Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.

Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.

The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.

Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.

When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."

"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.

The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.

As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.

The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.

Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.

The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.