By IANS,
Lucknow : Twelve people sustained burns in an Uttar Pradesh village when members of a family threw acid at panchayat members, infuriated by a decision to construct a community hall, the police said Tuesday.
“The incident took place Monday in Chiklupura village when the panchayat members decided at a meeting to construct a community hall,” Agra district police chief Prem Prakash told IANS by telephone. The village is located some 300 km from Lucknow.
Six people have been charged for the crime and three of them have been arrested, the police said. The victims sustained burn injuries and three are said to be in a critical condition.
A man called Ramnath and his family members, who were present at the meting, voiced objections and said no open space would be left in front of their house if the community centre was set up.
Angry over the decision, Ramnath and his family members later threw acid at the panchayat members, according to police. The injured are undergoing treatment in a district hospital, the police added.
“Although we managed to arrest Ramnath and two of his family members, three others involved in the incident are still to be arrested,” said Prakash.