LUCKNOW:  A major brawl, which broke out between two rival factions, resulted in the killing of one person and leaving scores injured during an open meeting for the allotment of fair price shop in Durjanpur village of Revati area of Ballia district in eastern UP on Thursday.

During the clash, one Dhirendra Singh, supposedly close to the BJP, opened indiscriminate fire killing one Jaiprakash Pal in front of SDM and Circle Officer (CO) Bairia and other officials.

Taking the cognizance of the incident, UP CM Yogi Aditaynath directed the authorities concerned to put SDM Suresh Kumar Pal, CO Chandrakesh Singh, station officer Revati police station and entire police force present at the spot on suspension with immediate effect for their alleged supine approach towards the incident.

He also issued directives to fix accountabilities and criminal proceedings should be initiated against those who would be found shying away from their duty.

As per the local eyewitnesses, as the clash broke out between the two groups, the officials concerned and also the cops present on the spot made a quiet retreat instead of taking control of the situation. However, in the melee of the clash, the accused managed to flee the spot, said the sources.

Confirming the suspensions of the officials concerned and the cops present on the spot, DIG, Azamgarh range, Subhash Chandra Dubey claimed that efforts were being made for early arrest of the accused against whom a case of murder was already registered at Revati police station. However, the son of deceased Abhishek Kumar Pal claimed that Dhirendra was later caught at the spot.

The process of allotment of the fair price shop of Durjanpur village was scheduled for Thursday. As the process started after the arrival of the SDM and CO, around 500 villagers gathered on the spot in the afternoon.

 Suddenly a heated argument broke out among a bunch of people at some distance from the tent where the officials were sitting. This led Dhirendra Singh, believed to be close to BJP’s Bairia MLA Surendra Singh, to open fire at Jaiprakash.

The sources claimed that Dhirendra Singh fired around two dozen rounds targeting Jaiprakash Kumar Pal who was immediately rushed to the hospital where the doctors declared him dead upon arrival.  Abhishek alleged that Dhirendra Singh alias Dabloo Singh talked to SO Revati and later picked up a fight with his father.

“Dhirendra fired around 25 rounds and my father sustained multiple bullet injuries. Dhirendra is a close associate of MLA Surendra Singh,” Abhishek said while claiming that the accused was picked up from the spot.

The incident brought the senior officials on their toes as it took place in front of SDM, CO and a large number of policemen deployed there. However, the district magistrate Ballia Hari Pratap Shahi and SP Devendra Nath could reach the village late afternoon.

On being contacted, BJP MLA Surendra Singh denied having any link with accused Dhirendra Singh. He claimed that people of his constituency were close to him. “But, it is a fact that Dhirendra is a BJP worker,” confirmed the MLA.

Ballia SP Devendra Singh said that the dispute started between the gangs as the SDM had postponed the allotment process and groups had started leaving the venue. In the meantime, some of them from both faction clashed and indiscriminate firing took place.