A taxi driver in Kanpur was allegedly beaten by a Samajwadi Party leader over a paltry sum of `300, after which he committed suicide on Tuesday. This incident led to largescale violence in Kanpur’s Panki area as angry mobs clashed with the police and later set fire to the house and hotel owned by the SP leader.
Ankit Yadav, a cab driver, apparently irked local Samajwadi leader Prashant Tiwari when he parked his taxi in front of Mr Tiwari’s hotel. Furious, Mr Tiwari lost his temper when the cabbie refused to move his vehicle, and then demanded a “parking fee” of `300.
When Ankit Yadav refused to pay, Mr Tiwari began beating him up in full public view. Badly bruised and was unable to bear the humiliation, Mr Yadav is said to have immediately hanged himself.
Ankit’s family rushed to the scene and began pelting stones at the police to vent their anger. The family was soon joined by others in the area, and widespread violence erupted. A mob set fire to Mr Tiwari’s hotel and house.
Additional forces were rushed to the area, and the police was forced to resort to a lathicharge to control the violent mob.
A case of murder has been registered against Prashant Tiwari, who is absconding after the incident. The accused, according to sources, is a local leader of the Samajwadi Party’s youth wing, and is known to extort money from local businessmen.
UP additional director-general of police (law and order) Jagmohan Yadav feigned complete ignorance about the incident, and the state home department’s crime bulletin also made no mention of it. This comes as yet another major embarrassment for the Akhilesh Yadav government, more so after the manner in which the chief minister is trying to inculcate discipline in his party workers.