Following the murder of a local BJP leader allegedly by a BSP activist late on Saturday, an irate mob burnt alive a policeman and also torched a police station in the Kaladhungi area of Nainital district on Sunday morning.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank has put all the cops posted at the Kaladhungi Police Station under suspension. He has also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

Balwant Singh Kaniyal, the president of Kotabagh block of Nainital district, had a clash with BSP activist Neeraj Tiwari in a restaurant on Saturday evening. Both then went to the Kaladhungi police station where Tiwari allegedly shot Kaniyal from a point blank range. Kaniyal was declared brought dead at the Base Hospital and Tiwari was arrested immediately.

As the news of the killing spread, thousands of Kaniyal’s supporters set the police station and more than seven vehicles parked on the premises on fire. The mob then reportedly stoned Head constable Puran Lal Sharma and threw him in the fire.