7 killed in accidents, 16 hurt in clashes on Holi in UP

Lucknow: At least seven people were killed in separate road accidents in Uttar Pradesh on Holi, police said today. In Barabanki, five people were killed in three road accidents. According to Circle Officer (Sadar) Sushil Kumar, all three accidents involved motorcyclists, including one in which two people were visiting the district for a ‘Holi Milan’ programme.

Two people died in Banda after their motorcycle collided with the official car of the city magistrate, police said. Additional Superintendent of Police Lal Bharat Kumar Pal said Magistrate Ramesh Chandra Tiwari was going to Tindwari to greet people on Holi, whe his official car collided with a motorbike.

Two people injured in the accident later succumbed at a hospital, Pal said, adding that Tiwari and two other occupants of the car were also injured. The driver has been detained. Meanwhile in Bareilly, at least 16 people were injured in violent clashes and stone-pelting incidents yesterday.

Senior Superintendent of Police Joginder Kumar said stones were hurled on people participating in a Holi procession in Rampura-Kamanpur village. A police official and 10 others participating in the procession were injured.

Senior district administration and police officials have reached the spot and the situation has normalised, Kumar said. In Narayan Nagla village of the district, two groups clashed and opened fire in the air during Holi celebrations.

“In the violence, five people were injured. Four of them have been hospitalised,” Kumar added. Bareilly District Magistrate Raghvendra Singh said two people have been arrested in connection with Narayan Nagla incident. He said a case has been registered against seven people under various sections of the IPC.