UP village on edge after clash over alleged cow slaughter that left two, including cop, dead

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Updated: Dec 06, 2018 11:16 IST

Chingrawathi and Mahaw villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district wore a deserted look on Monday hours after a police inspector and a local resident were killed when protests over alleged cow slaughter in the area turned violent.

Bhartiya Kisan Union’s district in-charge, Tejvir Singh, said the men from the two villages fled after the killing of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and Chingrawthi resident Sumit, 21, in the violence. He said they left fearing police raids. “We are in contact with women through mobile phones and keeping an eye on police activities,” said Tejvir Singh, who is a Chingrawthi resident.

Villagers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they fear the police may do “anything” to avenge Subodh Kumar Singh’s killing.

Tejvir Singh said the villagers were apprehensive that the police would not even allow them to bring Sumit’s body to his village for last rites. Sumit’s body had been sent to Meerut for post-mortem.

Tejvir Singh warned anything can happen if the police dared to misbehave with women in the absence of men.

He said the two villages, which have a population of over 5,500 of mostly farmers, are considered peaceful and blamed the alleged cow slaughter at Mahaw for the violence.

Subodh Kumar Singh’s driver, Ram Ashrey, claimed the mob that attacked the police had firearms and when they fired, a bullet pierced the inspector’s left brow.

The driver and other policemen tried to take him to a hospital, but the mob surrounded them and compelled them to flee, leaving the injured inspector behind in the police vehicle, he said.

Balraj Singh Dunger, a Bajrang Dal functionary, told HT that he had directed his local leaders to submit a report about the incident. He said that the inspector seemed to have died of shock after sustaining bullet injuries.

Also read: Mob torches truck in J&K’s Kathua alleging cattle smuggling

In Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered separate probes into the violence and rushed additional police forces to Bulandshahr fearing an escalation of violence amid the presence of lakhs of Muslims for a religious gathering.

Additional director general (intelligence) S B Shiradkar has been asked to file a report into the violence to the state government within two days. Inspector general of police (Meerut) led Special Investigation Team and a magistrate will probe the violence separately.

Officials said 11 companies of Rapid Action Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary had been rushed to Bulandshahr as a precautionary measure.

Around 15 lakh Muslims had assembled in Bulandshahr for a three-day Islamic congregation – Tablighi Ijtema – on Saturday. Officials said the event concluded on Monday and around six to nine lakh participants have since left the area. But until Monday evening, around five to seven lakh participants were still in the city. Officials said the police were “extra cautious” in view of the large Muslim presence.

Officials said 10 vehicles were attacked and five policemen were also injured in the violence that lasted for around two hours.

“At around 11.30 am, the villagers recovered cow carcasses. The locals dumped the carcasses on a tractor trolley and blocked the Bulandshahr-Garh highway under the Syana police station,” additional director general (law and order), Anand Kumar, told journalists in Lucknow. He said the attackers were from Nai Bash along with Mahaw and Chingarwathi.

Anand Kumar said inspector Subodh Kumar Singh reached the spot along with other police personnel and pacified villagers. “Initially, the issue was resolved and villagers were pacified on the assurance of a thorough probe,” he said.

The violence erupted when the police tried to clear the highway. “Initially, there was heavy brick-throwing. When police resorted to cane charge, the villagers opened fire from country-made guns. In order to control the situation, the police fired in the air to disperse the mob.”