Lucknow: A head constable of Uttar Pradesh Police shot dead a school teacher following an argument over tobacco in Muzaffarnagar, the police said on Monday.
Chander Prakash, the cop, was in an inebriated state when he committed the crime, according to police officials.
According to Superintendent of Police (City) Satyanarain Parjapat, the victim — identified as Dharmendra Kumar — was part of a team of the state Education department from Varanasi that had brought Uttar Pradesh Board high school examination answer sheets to a college in Muzaffarnagar.
The head constable was part of the police team that had accompanied Kumar and some other officials from Varanasi.
Kumar reportedly had a confrontation with Prakash on Sunday night.
“The constable was under the influence of alcohol and was constantly demanding tobacco from the teacher. However, when the teacher did not oblige, an argument broke out between them and the policeman opened fire at him using his service weapon,” Parjapat informed.
The Education department officials and police team, having left Varanasi on March 14, submitted the answer sheets at colleges in Prayagraj, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Moradabad and Bijnor, before they reached SD Inter College in Civil Line area of Muzaffarnagar.
They were waiting in their vehicle for the college gate to open when the head constable fired in a moment of rage.
The grievously injured teacher was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Kumar’s body has been sent for post-mortem.
Police, who have registered a case against Prakash, are questioning everyone present in the vehicle during that fateful moment.
