200 booked over Shamli celebratory firing incident, cops launch hunt for others

Muzaffarnagar: At least 200 persons on Wednesday were booked by Uttar Pradesh police in connection with celebratory firing incident by Samajwadi Party workers in which an eight-year-old child was killed. The police also announced a cash reward for any information on five absconding accused.

A case was registered against 200 unidentified persons under section 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 and 143 (unlawful assembly), and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC in this connection yesterday, Supredentent of Police Vijay Bhushan said today.

Those who provide any information about any of the five absconding accused will be rewarded with Rs 5000.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the boy killed in firing, an official spokesman said here.

He said that guilty will not be spared and strict action will be taken against them.

Four other accused - Ehsan, Shadab, Raqib and Sadiq - were arrested yesterday in this connection on the basis of a video clip.

The SP workers were celebrating the victory of party candidate Nafisa in the local body polls from the town last week when eight-year-old Sami, who was passing by Kairana area in a rickshaw, was killed in the firing.

SP leader and Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan has been earlier booked along with 30 of his supporters for allegedly threatening the two journalists from a leading English news channel who had gone to cover the incident.

Hasan had refuted allegations that he or his aides had attacked the two journalists and said it was an attempt by the opposition to tarnish the image of the ruling party.

Hasan has been served a show-cause notice by his party, while the victorious block pramukh was expelled.