Seven cops in BJP leader’s security caught napping during robbery at his house

LUCKNOW A group of seven police personnel deployed for security of a local BJP leader Dhananjay Mishra’s house in Hardoi was caught napping when four robbers broke into his house and decamped with cash and valuables worth several lakhs after holding a male member of the family hostage. The incident took place on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The family chased the robbers with the cops but they fled, firing indiscriminately. Hardoi superintendent of police (SP) Neeraj Kumar Jadaun on Thursday suspended all seven police personnel for dereliction of duty.

A senior police official said if these police personnel could not avert the robbery despite being present on the spot, how could they guard the BJP leader who faced a serious threat after his father Hari Shankar Mishra and elder brother Sanjay Mishra were shot dead on the same pattern in 2006 and 2016 over their old political enmity with a rival group in Hardoi.

He said seven police personnel were almost equivalent to Y category security that had eight police personnel, including one commando.

Sanjay Mishra was the then sitting Block Pramukh when he was shot dead by contract killers in December 2016. He was closely associated with former minister Naresh Agarwal and remained representative of his son Nitin Agarwal, who is presently a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.

Hardoi additional superintendent of police (ASP) Nripendra said Dhananjay Mishra was provided round the clock police security following life threat to him. He said five police personnel, including head constable Ram Khelawan, constables Adesh Kumar, Pankaj Kumar, Vikas Kumar and Dharmendra Singh used to remain present at his house while one police gunner each, Sachin Vihan and Golu were deployed in security of Dhananjay Mishra and another family member Shyam Ju Mishra respectively.

He said all these police personnel were present at Mishra’s house in Malihamau village under Sursa police station when four robbers broke into and held Dhananjay’s son Sarthak hostage when he woke after sensing their movement. He said they all came to know when Sarthak freed himself and alerted his father and other family members sleeping in other rooms of the house.

Hardoi SP office staff informed that the SP had suspended all the security personnel and ordered to deploy other personnel in their place . He said a departmental enquiry was being conducted to find out how these security personnel remained oblivious about the robbers breaking into the house from the main gate and fleeing easily after committing the robbery.