Uttarakhand: Cop, two others kill kiosk owner; arrested

A betel leaf kiosk owner was crushed under the wheels of a car allegedly by a constable and his two friends at Bajpur in Udham Singh Nagar district when he asked them to pay for cigarettes they had taken from him. The incident occurred late on Wednesday night, sparking tension in the area with angry locals placing the body outside the Kotwali and raising slogans against police, Udham Singh Nagar SSP D S Kunwar said.

The constable posted at the Bajpur police station, Praveen, and his two friends Gaurav Rathore and Jeevan have been arrested under IPC Sections 302, 504 and 506, he said. The Kashipur police station incharge has been asked to investigate the incident, he said, adding that a post-mortem is being conducted.

Additional police personnel from nearby areas have been deployed in view of the tension prevailing there, the SSP said. According to information, an argument ensued between the constable and the shop owner, Gaurav Rohilla, when the accused were asked to pay for the cigarette.

Tension escalated further when Rohilla called his brother to the scene. The angry constable and his two friends started the car in which they had come and knocked the shop owner down, killing him on the spot..