In an embarrassment to the BJP government in UP, the police investigation ordered by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had confirmed that the minister's car had mowed down a five-year-old boy.
The incident happened in Gonda district a few days ago, where minister Om Prakash Rajbhar's vehicle had crushed to death a five-year-old when the minister was seated in the car.
The child, identified as Shiva Goswami, was playing on the side of a village road. While the child died on the spot, the minister's cavalcade sped on without stopping.
Rajbhar had claimed that he was 25 kilometres away from the accident spot. "I tried to go to the spot, but the police advised against it. They said there could be security issues since people were very angry," the minister said.
The dead child's parents said the vehicle that hit him had flower petals on it and the minister was in one of the cars. Police conducted forensic test on the vehicles in the convoy and confirmed that the minister's car had crushed Shiva.
The car driver, arrested after the incident, also confirmed that the minister was sitting in the vehicle. Chief Minister Adityanath had asked the police to probe the matter and punish the guilty.
Rajbhar had earlier courted controversy by threatening to lock up parents refusing to send their children to school in jail without food and water.
He also threatened to resign from the cabinet for the government's refusal to transfer Ghazipur District Magistrate.
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