The bodies reached Umbha village on Thursday. (Express photo: Vishal Srivastav)Days after 10 people were shot dead in a case of indiscriminate firing in Umbha village, with no police help arriving in time despite multiple calls, Sonbhadra’s Superintendent of Police (SP) on Saturday said they have decided to open a police outpost in the village. Local residents have offered land for the project.
The local police station, Ghorawal, is 35 km from the village and residents have to travel the distance to seek police help. Sonbhadra is the second largest district of UP after Lakhimpur Kheri.
Sonbhadra SP Salmantaj Jafertaj Patil said on Saturday: “A police outpost will be set up in the village. We have received an offer from villagers, who have agreed to give land for it. We will soon start the procedure.”
There are only two police outposts — Shivdhar and Kasba Ghorawal— under Ghorawal police station. As per police station record, there is no previous record of any murder in Umbha village; there have only been complaints and cases of physical assault and criminal trespass lodged by local residents.
Police record says there are 180 villages under Ghorawal police station’s jurisdiction. A chowkidar (watchman) is appointed in each village to keep in touch with the police station and pass on information about the village and the residents.
Stating that Wednesday’s incident was the “first murder case in the village”, Umbha village’s chowkidar, Ram Lal, said he would go to the police station to give them information every Tuesday after travelling 40 km.
Records say the strength at Ghorawal police station is more than what has been sanctioned — against the authorised strength of one inspector, five sub-inspectors, two head constables and 23 constables, there are two inspectors, six sub-inspectors, six head constables and 37 constables. Records at Ghorawal police station state that there are 38 “history-sheeters” — no one from Umbha village is registered as a history-sheeter.
