VARANASI: A crime branch team of Jaunpur police was attacked and thrashed by a mob when it raided Harsos village under Jansa police station on Monday evening to arrest a criminal.

The villagers tied two policemen to a tree, thrashed them badly and looted their service pistols while others made videos of the assault which later went viral on social media. When police from neighbouring areas rushed to rescue the cops, they were also attacked by the mob and pelted with stones. Five policemen, including three from Jaunpur and inspector Rohania, Parshuram Tripathi, suffered injuries in the attack.

Later, heavy police force led by Varanasi SSP Anand Kulkarni raided the village, conducted search and detained 50 persons. Police identified 38 assailants from video clips and arrested them, besides recovering one pistol.

IG Varanasi range V S Meena told TOI, "Acting on a tip off, a Jaunpur crime branch team had raided Harsos village to nab one Rajan Bhardwaj on Monday evening. Initially, two policemen went to the village on a motorcycle to confirm Bhardwaj's presence and alerted the team." Jaunpur crime branch's sub-inspector Balendu and two other policemen in civil dress conducted a raid and caught Bhardwaj who raised an alarm.

Hearing the commotion, villagers stopped the vehicle, freed Bhardwaj and started assaulting the cops. Balendu and two other team members managed to escape but villagers brutally thrashed Ved Prakash Rai and Kaushalendra who had come on motorcycle.

2nd attack on cops in Kashi in three days

The villagers tied them to a tree and thrashed them brutally even as some tried to save them. Several videos of the incident went viral on social media.

On getting information, Varanasi SSP Anand Kulkarni and SP rural M P Singh rushed with heavy police force but villagers intensified attack. Rohania inspector and one more cop suffered injuries in brick-batting. Later, police dispersed the mob and launched a search to nab assailants. Though most men had fled, police succeeded in rounding up around 50 persons.

"All those detained were taken to Jansa police station where we started the process to identify the assailants. We identified and arrested 38 of the 50 detained," said IG Meena.

Jansa station officer, Ram Ashish, said, "An FIR has been lodged. Bhardwaj lives with his maternal grandparents in Jaunpur and is accused in a loot case there. The search for him is on."

It was the second attack on police in the district in three days. On October 25, SSP and policemen had been attacked by a mob in Chaubeypur area following killing of one Kamlesh Yadav in a loot bid.