Main accused Yagya Dutt, whose henchmen opened fire, arrested on Thursday

The U.P. SC/ST Commission on Thursday asked the State government to invoke the NSA and the Gangster Act against culprits behind the killings of 10 tribal people in Sonbhadra district and take action against officials for their “negligence” in averting the massacre.

The Commission also rushed a two-member team of its Deputy Chairman Maniram Kaul and member Ramsewak Kharwar for a first-hand probe into the shoot-out, said an official statement.

Team to visit site

The team will visit the scene of crime, meet the tribal people and injured persons and submit a report to SC/ST Commission Chairman Brij Lal, said the panel.

Meanwhile, the police on Thursday arrested the village headman whose henchmen opened fire on the villagers.

With main suspect Yagya Dutt’s arrest, the number of those held after Wednesday’s shoot-out in Ubha village has risen to 26, police said. The police had earlier arrested his two nephews.

An FIR has been lodged against 61 people, including 11 named.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Director-General of Police to personally monitor the case and ensure action against the culprits, a government spokesperson said.

Mr. Adityanath had also directed the Mirzapur Commissioner and Additional Director-General (Varanasi zone) to jointly investigate the cause of the clash and fix responsibility.

The land in the district’s Ghorawal area earlier belonged to an IAS officer and he had sold it to village head Yagya Dutt, who wanted to take possession of it, Uttar Pradesh DGP O.P. Singh had said.

When Dutt reached the spot with his henchme, local villagers tried to stop them from taking over the land, police said. Those accompanying him then showered a hail of bullets on the villagers, all tribals, killing nine of them. Official sources said another person injured in the firing died during treatment on Wednesday night.