The Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday arrested Saleem, one of the main accused in the murder that took place during the violence in Kasganj on Republic Day.
It is alleged that the bullets that killed 22-year-old Chandan Gupta were fired from Saleem’s house. The violence broke out after some youths forcibly tried to take out a bike procession without permission through a communally sensitive locality.
While police have formed special teams to nab the remaining accused and are probing the sequence of events on that day, they kept on edge on Wednesday with the VHP and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, carrying out Tiranga rallies in at least five districts of the State. The outfits were demanding that Chandan Gupta be declared a martyr and the culprits arrested. Rallies were taken out or attempted in Aligarh, Agra and Firozabad, districts close to Kasganj, as well as Bareilly and Kanpur.
Anand Kumar, Additional Director General, Law and Order, said Saleem, who has been absconding since January 26, was listed among the “main accused” in the FIR . “As per the FIR and statements of some of the witnesses, he is the person who fired from the roof or balcony of his house,” Mr. Kumar said. While police are questioning Saleem, they are also going to conduct a forensic examination to match the bullet to the weapons recovered in the raids carried after the incident.
