Mathura violence: Sect chief Ram Vriksh Yadav among dead, says UP police

MATHURA: Ram Vriksh Yadav, the chief of the violent encroachers in Jawahar Bagh, is among those killed in the clashes, police said today as the toll mounted to 27 with three more persons succumbing to injuries.

Uttar Pradesh DGP Javed Ahmed said on twitter that the body of Yadav and some others have been identified by his associates and his family has been intimated for confirmation.

60-year-old Yadav was the leader of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, an outfit claiming to owe allegiance to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose whose members had encroached on Jawahar Bagh area for two years and clashed with police on Thursday when they tried to evict them.

IG (Law and Order) S R Sharma said Yadav was among the 11 charred to death in the fire that was caused by gas cylinder explosions set off by the encroachers.

The death toll has risen to 27 with three more among the injured encroachers succumbing, IG (Agra) Durga Chandra Mishra said.

Chief Medical Officer Vivek Mishra said several other bodies have not been identified as yet.

The bodies have to be kept for 72 hours in the mortuary, which will end tomorrow evening, and later post mortem will be done, he said. 18 bodies are in Mathura district centre and seven in Agra, he said.

Tight security arrangements remained in place with police preventing BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini, who led a protest by the party, from entering the violence-hit area, citing ongoing probe and combing operation.

Sharma said the situation "is normal in Mathura and the ground has been cleared".

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav raised compensation to the next of kin of the two slain police officers from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh even as opposition stepped up attack on him, questioning why he did not visit Mathura.

Mukul Dwivedi, Superintendent of Police and Santosh Yadav, Station House officer, Farah, were killed in the violence.