Youth with pistol detained at Rahul's meeting

A 19-year-old boy carrying a revolver was arrested by the Special Protection Group for attempting to get close to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, shortly after he addressed a rally in Amethi on Thursday afternoon.

Rahul was there to inaugurate a Corporation Bank branch near the Ramlila Ground, where he addressed a well-attended public rally.

Identified as Banarsi Soni, the boy, who owns a jewellery  shop in the local market, claimed to be only trying to hand over an appeal to the Gandhi scion for an independent investigation into the murder of his father and brother in Amethi a few months ago.

Soni told local cops that he owned a revolver for which he was granted a licence for self protection after the murder of his father and brother. He was further stated to have complained that even though six months had passed since the twin murders, the police had failed to make any headway in the case.

"We have taken Soni into custody and registered a case against him for committing breach a VVIP's security. The rest will follow after preliminary investigations", said a local police official.