Four people, including a woman, were killed on Wednesday while four others suffered critical injuries in a group clash following a dispute over a pet dog excreting outside a house in Baghpat district.

Baghpat SP Laxmi Singh suspended four policemen for not reaching at the scene of crime despite being aware of the dispute that took place around noon.

The suspended policemen include the local police outpost in-charge and the phone attendant at the police control room who was reportedly made aware of the clash shortly after it started.

The District Magistrate (DM) has ordered a probe into the alleged dereliction of duty by the policemen and delay by a doctor at the community health centre in attending to the injured.

Meerut Zone Inspector General (IG) Bhawesh Kumar Singh said an altercation between Nirmala Singh and her neighbour Yogendra ensued after the former's pet dog excreted outside the latter's house in Durbhagaon locality.

A heated argument between the two took a violent turn when the family members on either side started attacking each other with sticks and knives, which soon changed to them exchanging fire.

The injured were rushed to the local health centre where no medical staff was available at first to attend to them.

Later, Nirmala and Pravesh were declared brought dead while Bijendra and Yogendra died following excessive bleeding. The remaining injured were referred to the district hospital.

Baghpat DM Amrit Tripathi said the two groups had, earlier in the morning, visited the local police outpost reporting the altercation over the pet dog, but the in-charge apparently took the issue lightly.

The clash broke out after the two groups returned to their places, he said, adding that the police control room was still being repeatedly informed of the clash but the police did not turn up.

"I have ordered an inquiry into the role of the policemen and the doctor. It will be conducted by the sub-divisional magistrate of Badaut area," Tripathi said.

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