In yet another incident that reflects the prevailing law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, a mob of over 150 people allegedly tried to set ablaze the district supply officer in Dehgava village in Badaun district after he sealed a fair price shop selling adulterated diesel.
The incident is strongly reminiscent of the Manjunath case in which Shanmughan Manjunath, a marketing manager of the Indian Oil Corporation was shot dead when he tried to seal a petrol pump selling adulterated fuel in Lakhimpur in November 2005.
According to police sources, the incident in Badaun district took place on Thursday when DSO Neeraj Singh received a tip-off and raided fair price shop owned by one Girish Chandra with his team.
When the supply officer sealed kerosene barrels at the shop, Girish Chandra and his men broke the seals and allegedly attacked the supply officer and his team, smashing the window panes of his car, dousing it with kerosene, with Mr Singh inside, and then attempting to set it on fire.
According to the DSO, the men tried to set the car aflame twice but failed.
“I was informed over the phone that large-scale black marketing of kerosene was being done. We went with a team of 10 people and sealed drums of kerosene. They broke the seals. They then surrounded my vehicle and broke the windows of the car and tried to set me and my car on fire,” he told the police.
By then, a mob of over 150 people, including women, had collected there and they sprinkled kerosene on the officer too.
However, before they could light the match and set him ablaze, Neeraj Singh ran away. He informed senior officers about the incident and later in the night two FIRs were lodged.
The accused, meanwhile, have fled and the police have set up teams to arrest them. Two persons have been arrested on Friday.