Lucknow, Jan 12 (Inditop.com) Five policemen have been suspended and charged with causing the death of a 20-year-old man by chasing him into a pond in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh, an official said Tuesday.

After raiding a hideout of gamblers Monday evening at Tal Darwaza locality in Mainpuri, some 200 km from Lucknow, a team of four police constables, led by an inspector, ran towards a group of young men who at that time were playing cricket a few metres from the hideout.

After seeing the cops wielding batons and approaching them, the young men got scared and started running away, the official said.

In a bid to save themselves, Surya and three of his friends jumped into a pond. Unlike his friends, Surya did not know swimming and drowned.

Surya’s friends have alleged that even after seeing Surya drowning, none of the policemen bothered to save him.

“He kept on crying for help, but no policeman even attempted to save him,” Chitresh Sharma, Surya’s friend who watched the incident from a distance, told reporters in Mainpuri.

Agitated over the death of Surya, his friends and other members of the locality took to the street and held demonstrations, demanding arrest of the five policemen who caused him to jump into the pond and drown.

“Prima facie it appears the five policemen are responsible for the young man’s death. They have been placed under suspension and a murder case has been registered against them,” Additional Superintendent of Police Rajendra Kumar told reporters.