Four held, main accused from Bajrang Dal still on the run

Bulandshahr (UP): Police arrested four people on Tuesday and were hunting for a Bajrang Dal activist in connection with mob violence in Bulandshahr that left an inspector and a passerby dead, as angry families demanded action amid criticism of the UP chief minister and conspiracy theories.

A mob of some 400 people, including right-wing activists, fought pitched battles with police on Monday in Siana area of Bulandshahr district, apparently after right-wing activists were angered by the discovery of cow carcasses strewn in a nearby jungle.

They set fire to dozens of vehicles, hurled stones and also fired guns at police who retaliated with gunfire. In the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, the station house officer of Siana, and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar were killed.

The NHRC issued notices to the UP government and the DGP over the incident, officials said.

Police said on Tuesday that four persons were arrested, but the main suspect, Bajrang Dal district convenor Yogesh Raj, was on the run. They said 27 people had been named in the FIR while cases have been lodged against 50-60 unidentified people.

Of the 27, at least four are workers and functionaries of right-wing organisations such as Bajrang Dal, the officials said.

There was a massive deployment of security forces in the area, and tension spiralled as angry families demanded justice for their kin.

There was confusion about the number of those arrested with police officials first saying four, then three and finally four again.

ADGP (Law and Order) Anand Kumar told reporters that six police teams were working on the case and trying to identify the accused by monitoring video footage.

In a statement, the four-time chief minister and BSP chief Mayawati said that the BJP government is now facing the same "mobocracy" it created to "make political gains" over the years.

"Uttar Pradesh is going through an unfortunate phase under the BJP governance," tweeted SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Father was against violence over religion: Slain cop's son

LUCKNOW: The son of the police inspector killed in mob violence over alleged cow slaughter in Bulandshahr said his father wanted him to be a good citizen who doesn't provoke violence over religion.

"My father has lost his life in this Hindu-Muslim dispute. Whose father is next?" Abhishek Singh said. Inspector Subodh Singh, who had initially probed the 2015 lynching of Dadri resident Mohammed Akhlaq over rumours of beef consumption was killed on Monday during a mob attack on policemen.

The inspector's sister alleged the killing was a "conspiracy" by the police.

"My brother was killed in a conspiracy by the police as he was probing a cow slaughter case (the Akhlaq lynching case)," Sunita Singh told reporters today.

"The cow is our mother, I accept that. My brother has given his life for her. The CM used to chant 'gau, gau, gau'. Why can't he come for cow protection?" she said in an emotional outburst against chief minister Yogi Adityanath.