First anniversary of Sonbhadra killing: Ajay Lallu, Congress activists detained en route to Umbha village

On the first anniversary of the Sonbhadra killing, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior leader Ajay Rai along with Congress activists were taken into custody by the UP police on Thursday while they were heading to Umbha village to pay their homage to those who were killed in firing last year.

Hours after the Congress leaders were taken into custody, UP Congress shared a video in which Lallu along with Congress activists can be seen singing Gandhi Bhajan.

10 Gond tribes men were gunned down in Umbha village of Sonbhadra district by upper caste men over a land dispute in 2019.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also detained while she was on her way to meet the relatives of those killed in the firing last year.

Lallu was asked to return because of the prohibitory orders as he was going to the village without permission, said Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Ram Badan.

He and his four associates were stopped at a guest house in Gopiganj and taken to Sitamarhi guest house from there, the SP was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.

Congress media convenor Lalan Kumar said in Lucknow that Lallu was stopped in Bhadohi and several party workers at Mirzapur toll plaza while going to Umbha village to pay homage to those killed last year.

The Umbha village head and his henchmen had gunned down people from Gond tribe in a bid to divest them of control over village land. Twenty-nine others were injured in the firing.

The UP police have arrested 65 people in connection with the mass killing; however, the police failed to produce evidence against the accused. The chargesheet was filed based on evidence and statements from 123 people, Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police Prabhakar Chaudhary had told media.

The incident had triggered a political controversy with the Congress and Samajwadi Party criticizing the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government over the incident. Adityanath, however, had accused Congress and the Samajwadi Party for it.