Mathura: Two police officers were among 24 killed June 2 in clashes between cops and encroachers in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, northern India.

The clashes occurred when the police tried to evict thousands of members of a sect from a public park at Jawahar Bagh area in the district. The police opened fire when members of Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena attacked them with swords, knives, guns and grenades.

Mukul Dwivedi, Superintendent of Police, who led the eviction drive, was hit on the head with a stone. He died in hospital after three heart attacks, said sources. His colleague, Santosh Kumar Yadav, was shot in the head. As many as 22 protesters also were killed.

According to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Javed Ahmed, the encroachers resorted to “unprovoked” firing and stone throwing when the police team arrived to carry out the eviction.

“The police teams reorganized themselves. After two shelters were vacated, the protesters set afire gas cylinders and munitions stored there which led to several explosions.

The deceased included a woman.

Ahmed said 23 police personnel have been hospitalized and many among them have suffered bullet injuries.

“We have recovered 47 guns, six rifles and 178 hand grenades from the area,” he said, adding “124 people have been arrested for creating disturbances. Another 196, including 116 women, have been arrested,” he said.

The violence had erupted when police tried to evict illegal occupants, directed by the Allahabad high court.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered a probe into the matter. The federal government on Friday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the incident while federal Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the chief minister and assured the state government of all necessary help.

The encroachers who call themselves “Satyagrahis” have dispersed and the disputed Jawahar Bagh area, spread over 280 acres, is now under police control.

Over two years ago, the group had occupied the area on the pretext of ‘dharna” (sit-in demonstration).

Their demands included “cancellation” of election of President and Prime Minister of India, replacement of existing currency with ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ currency, sale of diesel at the rate of 60 liters for one rupee and petrol at the rate of 40 liters for one rupee.

The high court had, acting on a PIL, directed the authorities to vacate the land.

In April, Mathura district administration has issued a notice to the protesters asking them to vacate the land.

The land falls under the horticultural department of the state government, and attempts by its officials to evict the people had failed.

The incident has come as a setback for the Samajwadi Party government in the state which braces for elections early next year and is already faced with charges of lawlessness in the state.

Hema Malini, who represents Mathura in parliament, expressed shock and anguish over the incident and questioned why UP police “did not” take action in the matter during the last two years.

“It is very sad and I was very, very shocked that policemen and people lost their lives. For the last two years I had heard that they had occupied land,” she said.

Vijay Bahadur Pathak, state spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that heads the federal coalition government, termed the incident as “very unfortunate,” but added that it did not come as a shock as “in the past too, policemen have been targeted even as chief minister and his government have been in a state of denial.”

BJP is eyeing to capture power in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the main opposition in the state, and Congress leaders have also slammed the state government for letting the situation spin out of control to such fatal consequences

The chief minister admitted that he had not anticipated the sect would be “so well armed.”

Police have arrested nearly 400 followers of the sect.