Locals, cops clash after boy drowns in Amanishah nullah

JAIPUR: A protest following the drowning of a 17-year-old boy in Amanishah nullah took an ugly turn after locals and police clashed with each other on Friday night.
The locals from Fauji Colony also blocked the main road and refused to hand over the body of the deceased Ajay. The locals alleged that the boy had died after falling into a pit which was dug under the Dravyavati river project. The protest took a violent turn with some locals pelting stones at cops; the police also resorted to force and dispersed the protesters.

Deputy commissioner of police (Jaipur West) Ashok Gupta said that the police also took the body of the deceased into their custody. “We have taken the body and it is kept at the mortuary, the crowd was dispersed,” he said.

The locals, however, alleged that the police lathicharged the protesters, including the parents of Ajay who were protesting with body of their son. The police, however, said that no such incident was reported. “It was a pitch dark there, somebody must have pelted a stone or two, but it was not a major clash and we also dispersed the crowd accordingly,” added additional DCP, Ratan Singh.

According to Bani Park SHO Sanjay Kumar Arya, Ajay drowned after he fell into the pit. It has not been ascertained if he had gone there to take a bath or died after his leg slipped. “The incident happened in the morning, he had gone to nullah which is located under the limits of Bani Park police station. We had called up rescue teams and his body was fished out,” he added.

The locals, however, alleged that one person had also died last year in a similar drowning, yet the JDA did not pay any attention to fence the area. Top officials of the Jaipur police’s west zone arrived at the site. Jhotwara SHO Guru Bhupendra Singh said that some people have been detained in the matter.

Several police personnel from different police stations was deployed in the area, police staff from the reserve battalions was also sent to ensure curb further escalation. ADCP Ratan Singh said that the situation was under control.

Ajay was a resident of Fauji colony area. He had recently quit studies and working at a private company. The police said that the family had been raising demands that senior officials from the civic body should come and speak to them.