UP orders judicial probe into violence during agitation

The Uttar Pradesh government tonight ordered a judicial probe into violence that erupted during farmers' protests in Aligarh and Mathura even as it shunted the district magistrate and the SSP of Aligarh.

The government also announced an ex-gratia of Rs5 lakh to the kin of those killed in alleged police firing during the clashes last night.

It removed divisional commissioner of Aligarh JB Sinha, putting him on waiting list while IAS officer Rajiv Agarwal has been appointed in his place.

"Taking a serious note of incidents of violence during farmers' protests in Aligarh and Mathura the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has ordered a judicial inquiry," cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told reporters.

"The government has also decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs5 lakh each to kin of those killed in the incident," he said.

The farmers were on the warpath demanding higher compensation for land acquired for a township project along the Delhi-Agra Taj Expressway.

Singh said the chief minister has constituted a committee headed by new divisional commissioner, Aligarh, to seriously examine the issue of compensation to farmers against acquisition of their land.

"The committee will submit its report to the government after hearing the farmers. At any cost the government will not overlook the interest of the farmers," the cabinet secretary said.

Meanwhile, the government transferred SSP Aligarh Vijay Prakash and district magistrate Rama Rao.

DM of Barabanki R Ravindra Naik and SP Sultanpur Satyendra Veer Singh have been appointed as the new DM and SSP respectively, he said.