Twenty-seven people have been arrested in connection with the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district on December 29.

Head constable Suresh Pratap Singh Vats was killed on Saturday when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was hit on the head by a stone when he went to end a traffic jam caused by the protests.

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“The death of head constable Suresh Pratap Singh Vats in Ghazipur in stone pelting is extremely tragic. So far 19 accused in 3 cases have been arrested, which include 11 in the case of murder. Strict action will be taken against those involved in violence under stringent sections of law (sic),” the DGP had earlie said in a tweet.

According to Superintendent of Police (Ghazipur) Yashveer Singh, the protesters were workers from the Rashtriya Nishad Party who were prevented by the administration and the police from going to the rally venue.

“When the Prime Minister had left Ghazipur, the party workers blocked traffic at various places and started pelting stones on the vehicles returning from the programme venue,” he told news agency PTI on Saturday.

An official on Saturday said a police team was trying to manage traffic after Prime minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Ghazipur. “Some supporters of Nishad entered into an argument with policemen trying to clear the road of vehicles,” said a police source.

The workers hurled stones at the policemen and torched some vehicles. “While more policemen arrived to chase the mob away and detained a few of them, it was too late for Surendra Vats who bled to death after being hit in the head by a stone. The deceased was posted at Kareemuddinpur police station”, the source said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of Vats and Rs 10 lakh for his parents, the state has government said.

Adityanath also directed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to take strict action against unruly elements and arrest them immediately.

Meanwhile, mortal remains of Head Constable Vats was brought to Prayagraj for last rites early on Monday morning.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has blamed Saturday’s violence in Ghazipur on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “thok do” policy.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on Sunday, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister slammed his successor for the deteriorating condition of law and order in the state.

This is the second time in less than a month in which a policeman has been killed in mob violence in Uttar Pradesh.

Police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and civilian Sumit Kumar, 20, were killed of bullet shots during the mob violence on December 3.

An FIR against 27 named people and 50 to 60 unidentified people were registered at the Siyana police station for the violence that was witnessed at Chingrawathi police post some Hindu right-wing activists found some animal carcasses in the field nearby Mahaw village of the district and took them on tractor trolleys to block a road.

So far, 20 people have been arrested in the case.