Police firing leaves two dead, five injured in Etawah

Two persons were killed and five injured when police opened fire to control a violent clash between two rival groups outside a temple on the outskirts of Etawah, the native home of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Sunday.

One of the injured was stated to be critical. Among the remaining wounded were two policemen and two belonged to  the rival groups between whom a clash took place earlier during the day.

According to state principal home secretary R M Srivastava, "What began as a minor scuffle over jumping the queue, to enter the Brahmi Devi Temple in Sirsa village, about 25 km from Etawah town, snowballed into a violent clash between two groups."

He said, "About 20 armed PAC personnel, who were deployed in the village as a precautionary measure in view of the Ram Naumi festival, got into action and opened fire, which left two dead".

Two PAC men also received injuries in the free-for all that ensued before the cops resorted to firing, he added.

While a magisterial probe has been ordered by the local administration, the chief minister in Lucknow announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakhs to each of the two killed and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured.