Police on Tuesday booked more than 70 persons, including some with alleged links to groups affiliated to the RSS, on charges of mob violence in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday in which a police officer and a civilian were shot dead following allegations of cow slaughter.
Four persons, Chaman, Devendra, Ashish Chauhan and Satish, have been arrested so far, said a senior police officer. Five others have been detained and six teams formed to nab the absconding.
The police also filed an FIR against seven locals, all Muslims, for alleged cow slaughter on the complaint from one Yogesh Raj, reportedly a Bajrang Dal member.
In the mob violence FIR, the police have named 27 persons, while 50-60 others are 'unknown'. Some of them are allegedly members of the Bajrang Dal. Accused number one Raj's social media profile, and information though local sources, link him to the Bajrang Dal. He is allegedly the district convenor of the outfit, which is the youth faction of the VHP.
His family members have confirmed his connection to the Bajrang Dal as well as his presence at the spot on Monday, but denied that he had any role in the murder, according to sources in Bulandshahr. A video footage of him arguing with the police at the spot has also surfaced.
A former pradhan of Mahav village, where the carcasses were allegedly discovered, has also been booked in the FIR filed on a complaint from sub-inspector Subash Chandra at the Syana police station. So are Shikhar Agarwal, who is allegedly the BJP Yuva Morcha's Bulandshahr city president, and VHP leader Upendra Raghav, though the police have not mentioned their identity.
ADGP law and order Anand Kumar, however, said, "there is no information of any organisation being involved," but did not comment on the specific affiliations of those named in the FIR. "It is not proper to name any organisation...Whether Yogesh [Raj] is linked [to any organization] or not, I don't think it is proper to state."
It appeared prima facie that Sumit, the youth killed during the mob violence, was a part of the protesters. Further investigation would reveal his role, whether he was a bystander or directly involved and from where the bullet shot came, he said..
Video footage
A video has surfaced showing Sumit being shot amid chaotic scenes in a field where youth are running amok with lathis and charging towards a policeman accusing him of firing the bullet. It was, however, not clear who shot him.
The authenticity of the clip could not be independently verified.
A bullet recovered from Sumit's body has been sent to forensics to ascertain its calibre. Inspector Subodh Singh was killed by a .32 bore weapon, police have confirmed, but were not saying if it was his service weapon or owned by a rioter, said Mr. Kumar.
The police had "sufficient video footage" and oral testimonies of locals, and arrests would be based on solid evidence, he said.
Om Prakash Rajbhar, Minister in the Yogi Adityanath government and president of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, said the incident was a "conspiracy" by the BJP and its affiliates to instigate a communal riot to polarise voters.
"And it is unfortunate that people of VHP, Bajrang Dal and BJP had gone there with the intention of rioting... Hindu-Muslim. And an Inspector became a victim of that," he said.
The charges in the mob violence FIR include murder, sedition, attempt to murder, rioting and dacoity. Sections 307, 302, 147, 148, 149, 124-A, 332, 333, 353, 341, 336, 427, 436 and 395 of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked. Yogesh Raj and others have been accused of leading the mob and "instigating them" for violence despite assurances by the police that an FIR would be filed in the cow slaughter case, the mob violence FIR says. The mob attacked the police with illegal firearms, sharp objects and lathis with the "intent to kill," it notes.
Inspector Subodh Kumar was shot and left injured when a mob "surrounded him" and snatched his service pistol and three mobile phones, including an official number. All this while the mob was continuously firing, said Mr. Chandra.
The mob then attacked the police outpost at Chingravati, burning police vehicles as well as official records and property. They also prevented and injured Kumar from receiving medical treatment. With cries of "maro maro [kill, kil]," the mob attacked the police when they were attempting to put the injured officer into a jeep to take him to hospital, said Mr. Chandra.
FIR concerning cow slaughter lacks details
The FIR concerning cow slaughter lacks details. It charges seven persons, identified as Sudef Chaudhary, Ilyas, Sharafat, Anas, Wajid, Pervez, and Sharfuddin, all of Nayabas village, under Sections 3, 5 and 8 of the Uttar Pradesh Cow Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1995 and Section 295 of the IPC.
In his complaint to the police, Yogesh Raj says that at 9 am on Monday, he and his friends Shiv Kumar and Saurabh were in the Mahav jungle area when they spotted the accused persons slaughtering a cow. Upon seeing Yogesh and his friends, the accused fled from the spot, notes the FIR.
The remaining accused in the mob violence were identified as Vishal Tyagi, Satyendra Rajput, Chaman, Devendra, Upendra Raghav, Ravi Saini, Ashish Chauhan, Shikhar Agrawal, Jitu, Sachin,. Ramesh Tyagi, Vineet, Saurabh, Sumit, Chotu, Satish, Vikas Tyagi, Pawan, Vikrant Tyagi, Bablu, Ankur, Robin, Tinku, Guddu and Harendra.
