Ex-Soldier Arrested in Rae Bareli Claims Police Assault During Diwali Dispute

A retired Army officer was among those detained following a Diwali dispute in Rae Bareli's Dalmau area, which escalated into violence involving multiple families and police intervention, officials reported on Saturday. The retired officer claimed police assaulted him, while Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav criticised the treatment of the soldier, questioning if Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would suspend the involved officers or take further action.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Sinha stated that the incident unfolded on Friday at the Ghuraura police outpost when two groups clashed over an undisclosed issue. Chahat Singh, son of retired soldier Indal Singh from Senduramau village, and his relative Dheeru Singh were buying firecrackers when they got into a dispute with Shani Sonkar and Vikas from Ghuraura. The situation quickly escalated, prompting police to bring both parties to the outpost to calm tensions.

Escalation at Police Outpost

Tensions heightened when family members from both sides arrived at the outpost. Indal Singh alleged that officers mistreated him during the scuffle. ASP Sinha mentioned that Indal Singh arrived with 7-8 others, allegedly armed, demanding to confront Shani Sonkar. The group led by Indal Singh surrounded the outpost and attempted to attack the opposing party, becoming aggressive towards officers when police intervened.

Following the escalation, police arrested individuals from both sides. Indal Singh, Chahat Singh, Ranvijay Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Dheeru Singh, and Vineet Singh were detained from one group. Shani Sonkar and Vikas were held from the other side. Complaints filed by Shani Sonkar's father, Rakesh Sonkar, and Uday Bhan from the opposing side led to charges against six individuals. Outpost in-charge Himanshu Malik also lodged a complaint, resulting in cases against nine people involved.

Legal Proceedings and Investigations

The arrested individuals faced charges under relevant sections and were placed under judicial custody. ASP Sinha confirmed an inquiry led by the Circle Officer City is underway to investigate Indal Singh's allegations regarding police conduct. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video of the ex-soldier discussing the incident on social media, urging action from the UP government.

"The violent behaviour meted out to a soldier with a medal in the Army in UP is highly objectionable and reprehensible. The chief minister should at least do justice to the honour of the soldiers. Let us see whether the entire police station is suspended or a bulldozer is run on it," Yadav said in his post on X.