By IANS,
Jaipur: A police officer was burnt alive by a mob in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan Thursday after protests against police inaction in a murder case turned violent, police said.
“The SHO (Station House Officer) of Mantown, Phool Muhammad, was burnt alive by an angry mob this evening. The mob was demanding action against an accused in a murder case which took place over a month back,” a police officer said.
Sixteen policemen too were injured when the mob started pelting stones in Sawai Madhopur, some 170 km from here.
The people were protesting the failure of the police to solve the murder of 65-year-old Dehta Devi, who was robbed and murdered Feb 9.
“Some unidentified people chopped off her legs and stole her ornaments,” the police officer said.
No arrests have been made in the case yet.
Thursday’s incident occured when Rajesh Badolas, 30, the state coordinator of Rajasthan Gramin Yuva Shakti Morcha, died after he set himself ablaze to protest police inaction in the case.
The enraged mob set afire the jeep Phool Mohammad was sitting in and also started pelting stones, Additional Director General of Police (Crime) P.K. Vyas said.
Prohibitory orders (Section 144) banning gathering of four or more people at a time have been imposed in Sawai Madhopur town.
Heavy police force was deployed in the area, and the situation is calm but tense, officials said.
There were reports that two more policemen have been burnt alive, but the district administration did not confirm it.