A kanwad yatra pilgrim died and nine others were seriously injured on Friday after the tractor trolley they were travelling in came in touch with a high tension wire in Kushinagar district, adjoining Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The deceased has been identified as 15-year-old Anita, a resident of Padrauna.
According to the police, the accident occurred near Saraiya village when a pipe installed by the pilgrims on top of the trolley came in contact with a 11,000 volt wire. The Kanwariyas had "attached a DJ system on the trolley through a high pipe," a police spokesperson said.
The trolley, carrying 14 Kanwariyas, was moving towards the Kubersthan Shiv Mandir after filling water at the Gandak river for rituals when the incident occurred.
The injured were admitted to the nearest hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Those who were in critical condition have been referred to Gorakhpur hospital.
The incident occurred even as the UP government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had issued the Kanwariyas strict directions to not use DJ systems during the yatra. The yatris had also been adviced to stay away from rumours and provocations.
It came a day after another set of Kanwad yatris vandalised police property and held up traffic for hours near Allahabad following rumours that one of the pilgrims had died in a road accident.
A Kanwariya, who was crossing the road with his earphones on, was hit by a truck in Handia near Allahabad.
"Somebody spread a rumour that he died and upon hearing this, angry Kanwariyas held a road jam near police chowki Baraut and vandalised the furniture in the station. They also set on fire the car belonging to the police chowki in-charge," a police spokesperson said.
The injured Kanwariya, who was admitted to the SRN hospital, was identified as Mukesh (23), a resident of Jaunpur.
The matter is under investigation. No arrests have been made.
Another instance of violence involving the DJ system during the yatra was reported from the Aliganj area of Bareilly on Friday.
The Kanwariyas clashed with members of a particular community while passing through village Khemal after locals objected to them playing the DJ, the police said.
More than two dozen persons were injured in the stone-pelting, including police personnel and ITBP jawans, who had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
R. Vikram Singh, District Magistrate, Bareilly, said the Kanwariyas "did not have permission" to pass through the route, which fell under pockets of Muslim population.
Action with be taken against those who instigated the clashes, the police said.
