Bulandshahr violence: SSP and 2 other officials transferred, soldier involved arretsed

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government Saturday transferred Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh to the DGP office here, five days after two people, including an inspector, were killed in violence following an alleged cow slaughter incident while an Army jawan allegedly involved in the killing of a police inspector during mob violence in Bulandshahr has been arrested, a senior official of the UP Special Task Force said Sunday.

"The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to UP STF team in Meerut yesterday late night," IG STF Amitabh Yash told PTI here today.

Asked whether this will be considered as handing over by Army or arrest by the STF, Yash said, "Technically it will be considered as arrest. In the videos available he is present at the site of violence."

Currently, he is in police custody in Meerut, the IG STF said.

On Monday, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr district apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby.

During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the violence.

Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said Saturday that full cooperation will be extended in the investigation of the incident.

Jitendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji was detained by the 22 Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore town.

A special investigation team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh Police was expected to reach here later to take him into custody.

Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a civilian, Sumit Kumar, were shot dead in Bulandshahr in mob violence last week.

Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said that the Senior Superintendent of Police will be replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary.

The government transferred two other policemen of Bulandshahr -- Circle Officer Syana Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police chowki in-charge Suresh Kumar.

Additional Director General (ADG) Intelligence SB Shiradkar had Friday submitted a report on the violence. The transfers are understood to be in line with the findings of the report on police handling of the situation.

On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a local youth, Sumit, were killed in violence over an alleged cow slaughter incident in the city.

The inspector and his team had gone to the village to tackle the violence when they came under attack.

Singh was the investigating officer of the Dadri lynching case from September 28, 2015 to November 9, 2015. However, the chargesheet had been filed by a different IO in March, 2016.

Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of the Bajrang Dal, is on the run.

In a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Raj had claimed innocence.

Another suspect is Jeetu Fauji, and a police team has been sent to Jammu to nab him, a senior officer said.

Another inquiry by a government-constituted SIT is underway, and the team is going into every minute detail and video footage of the incident, the officer said.

Also, a magisterial probe had been ordered by the government into the incidents.