Cops mistaken for thieves, assaulted by villagers in Kaushambi; 5 held

Prayagraj: A group of four policemen from Chhattisgarh Police, who were not in uniform while conducting a raid to arrest three criminals, were mistaken for thieves and allegedly assaulted by villagers in Ichauli village under the Kokhraj police station limits in Kaushambi district late Friday.An FIR under Sections 191(2), 191(3), 109(1), 351(3), 132 and 121(2) of the BNS has been lodged at Kokhraj police station regarding the incident.One of the policemen, identified as Jagdev Prasad of Raipur, sustained injuries and was admitted to a hospital for treatment.Kaushambi Police have arrested five persons on charges of assaulting the police team.A senior police officer told TOI that a four-member team from Chhattisgarh’s Devnagar police station had arrived in Ichauli village to conduct a raid in search of three wanted criminals, including Shivam and Akash.After informing the local police, the team, dressed in plain clothes, reached Ichauli village and managed to nab one of the criminals.When they reached another accused’s house, he, along with his family members, started shouting “thief-thief” and fled.Villagers gathered at the spot and caught hold of the police personnel. As they could not recognise them and mistook them for thieves, they allegedly assaulted them, leaving one policeman seriously injured, while the others managed to escape.Upon being alerted, a Kokhraj police team rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Local police have launched an investigation into the incident and are identifying those involved in the assault. An FIR has been registered in this regard.