Attempt-to-murder case against UP Cong leaders over Gyanesh Kumar incident in Agra

Congress leaders Anil Yadav and Mukesh Dhangar, along with six others, face attempt to murder charges after a protest at the CEC's home in Agra.

Congress state general secretary (organisation) Anil Yadav and Congress Mathura district president Mukesh Dhangar, along with six others, were charged with attempt to murder after a protest outside the house of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s parents in Agra on Monday.

The two are among the eight accused named in the FIR registered on Monday under several sections of BNS. The FIR also said 15-20 other unidentified people were involved in the incident, which took place in Vijay Nagar in Agra. The complaint was lodged by Gaurav Kumar Gupta, the in-charge of the Ring Road police outpost in the city

The accused were booked under 109(2) (attempt to murder), 121(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to public servant to deter from duty), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 191(1) (rioting), 333 (house trespass), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and Section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act 1932.

According to the FIR, police learned on Monday that an unruly crowd had gathered at the house of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s parents in Vijay Nagar Colony. The crowd was attempting to break into the house while also painting the walls black, the FIR said.

On reaching the scene, police saw a crowd of 15 to 20 people aggressively raising slogans. When homeguard Dinesh Kumar, an aged man and heart patient, tried to stop the group from entering the house from the main gate, they surrounded him and struck him on the head with a solid object, upon which he fell unconscious, the FIR said. HT has seen the FIR.

It said that sub-inspector Gupta, the complainant in the case, attempted to control the group but the latter obstructed him from doing his duty. The FIR accuses the group of using provocative language against the Chief Election Commissioner, police officers present, and district administration during the protest and causing a stampede in the locality and lawlessness in the area, prompting neighbours to close all their doors.

The FIR said that the crowd dissipated in vehicles when police reinforcements arrived. Police took the injured homeguard to a nearby health centre for treatment.

According to the FIR, the protesters posted about the incident on social media. Based on the information gathered, police identified some of the people in the group, including Mukesh Dhangar from Mathura, Anil Yadav from Azamgarh, Rajesh (one name), Mukesh Gaur, Karan Singh Nishad, Vikram Valmiki, Umesh Sharma, and Raja Gautam. The FIR was registered at Hari Parvat police station in Agra late on Monday.

Hemendra Chaturvedi is a senior journalist based at Agra. He covers eight districts of Agra and Aligarh division namely Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj and Hathras. He had been with HT since 1992 and has completed three decades of association with HT and has worked for Hindustan Times only all through his career of about 35 years. Having Masters in Chemistry, Hemendra is also a law graduate with diploma in Personnel Management and has utilised broad based academic qualifications in his indepth, accurate and high impact stories from this part of western Uttar Pradesh while being based in the city of Taj Mahal. In such long span of career with Hindustan Times, Hemendra Chaturvedi has led his team of reporters which was instrumental in bringing out supplements including Region Scan, Agra Live, HT City time to time and proven his leadership qualities and has made presence of HT felt in the region covered by him. In the process of time, Hemendra has attained expertise in a variety of beats, being sole reporter for HT and has covered Aligarh Muslim University, Taj Mahal centric tourism, religiously sensitive city of Mathura and had been witness to Agra Summit having attendance of top leaders of India and Pakistan.Read More