Hathras SP removed after Kanwariya deaths

Hathras, July 24 (IANS) Vikas Kumar Vaidya, the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, has been removed following the death of six Kanwariyas in a road accident.

Vaidya has been posted as commandant PAC in Mirzapur.

He has been replaced by Devesh Kumar Pandey who takes over as the new SP.

On Saturday, six kanwariyas were killed after being hit by a dumper truck near Sadabad in Hathras.

The driver of the dumper truck fled from the spot, but was later arrested, police said.

According to preliminary investigations, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the pilgrims, said a senior police officer.

Five of the men died at the spot while a sixth succumbed to injuries at Sarojini Naidu Medical College in Agra.

The Kanwariyas blamed the police for failing to regulate traffic on the route.