UP: Probe ordered into alleged thrashing of farmer's son, 2 daughters by police
Badaun (UP): A probe was on Monday ordered into the alleged beating up of a farmer's son and two teenage daughters by the police here for defying lockdown.
The alleged incident took place in Utrarna village in Musajhag area here when Jitin, son of Satyapal Singh Yadav, was unloading hay from a tractor-trolley, according to the police complaint.
A beat constable arrived there and began hitting Jitin. When his family members intervened, the policeman left. However, he returned later with his colleagues, dragged Jitin out of his house and began thrashing him, it was alleged in the complaint.
Jitin's two sisters Shivani (14) and Shivali (18) too were beaten by the police when they came to the rescue of their brother. The injured were hospitalised and their condition is stable, the complaint said.
Taking note of the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Tripathi ordered a probe and assured that the guilty will be punished.
"I have directed SP City Jitendra Kumar Srivastava to probe the matter. As soon as his report come, action will be taken against the guilty," Tripathi said.
Meanwhile, Srivastava has visited the village and recorded the statement of victims and villagers.
Former MP and Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav has criticised the police action.
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Voting underway for local body elections in Gujarat
Ahmedabad (PTI): Voting got underway on Sunday morning for elections to several local bodies in Gujarat, including 15 municipal corporations and 84 municipalities.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission.
The elections are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats, making it one of the largest electoral exercises in the state.
A total of 9,992 candidates are in the fray, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
A three-tier security is in place, aided by CCTV surveillance and deployment of special squads in sensitive areas, police officials said.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, and required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have emerged as the key players, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several places.
Among notable candidates are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai, and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has nominated Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat.
Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are also being held for the first time in nine newly-created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel campaigned extensively for the BJP.
The AAP had taken the lead over other parties in launching the campaign, with its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressing several rallies across Gujarat.
In a first for AAP, the Kejriwal-led party is contesting around 5,000 seats in local polls.
Other contestants include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi campaigned in the final phase, addressing public meetings in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
In March 2021, the BJP scored a landslide win in the local polls in Gujarat, winning 6,236 out of 8,470 seats across various municipalities and establishing a wide gap with rival Congress.
The BJP had then dominated all six municipal corporations, besides 81 municipalities, 32 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats.
