Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the kin of the man who died when an SUV ploughed into a religious procession in Jashpur district, an official said, as per PTI. The Congress leader, citing that the accused were under police custody, slammed his UP counterpart Yogi Adityanath for being unsuccessful in taking ‘quick action’ after Lakhimpur Kheri violence, where eight people were killed on October 3.

One person was killed and 17 others were injured, two of them critically, in the Jashpur incident on Friday. Residents of Bazarpara locality, at around 1 PM, had taken out a procession for the immersion of Goddess Durga idols, when an SUV rammed into them, district Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal said. 

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The vehicle, a Mahindra Xylo with registration number from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, was coming from Kansabel side when it ran into the procession, the SP said.

Gaurav Agrawal (21) died in the incident, while 17 others suffered injuries.

This news from Jashpur comes days after the Lakhimpur incident where the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra and three other are accused of running over protesting farmers. Uttar Pradesh Police has so far arrested all three. 

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Yogi Adityanath had expressed grief over the Jashpur incident. He urged Chhatisgarh government to provide all possible help to the victims. “The death of a person in an accident wherein several people were crushed by an uncontrolled vehicle during a religious procession in Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh is very sad. I expect the Government of Chhattisgarh to make arrangements for proper treatment of the injured and provide all possible help to the victims,” the UP CM wrote on Twitter. 

“How come there was no police barricading during the Durga idol immersion procession? How was a speeding car allowed to get this close to the Hindu devotees,” BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya criticised Baghel. 

“Station House Officer (SHO) Pathalgaon Sant Ayam has been transferred to Police Lines here while Assistant Sub Inspector K K Sahu, against whom locals had made several complaints, has been placed under suspension,” the SP added.

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Two occupants of the SUV, Bablu Vishwakarma (21) and Shishupal Sahu (26) will face charges under sections 302 (murder) and 304 (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Both Vishwakarma and Sahu are residents of Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh. They were passing through Chattisgarh and trying to cross over to the neighbouring state when the incident occurred, said the police.