Ballia firing: Brother of BJP leader held, 5 detained; hunt on for main accused

Ballia/Lucknow (UP): Police on Friday detained five people and arrested the brother of a local BJP leader who allegedly shot dead a 46-year-old man as a fracas broke out at a meeting attended by administration and police officials in Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

As the opposition parties targeted the BJP government over the incident in the Reoti police station area, local party MLA Surendra Singh sought to defend accused DhirendraPratap Singh and said had he not opened fire in self-defence, "dozens of his family members and associates would have been killed".

The police administration admitted that there was prima facie "laxity" on its part and suspended nine policemen -- three sub-inspectors and six constables -- posted at Reoti police station. Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Suresh Chandra Pal and circle officer of police Chandrakesh Singh were suspended on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath soon after the incident on Thursday.

Additional Director General (ADG) of Police BrijBhushan visited the scene of crime in Durjanpur village on Friday, along with DIG Subhash Chandra Dubey, and said the incident was "unfortunate" and that strict action would be taken against all the

accused.

The ADG said Narendra Pratap Singh, the brother of the main accused, has been arrested. Narendra Pratap Singh has been named in an FIR, besides his brother and 22-25 unnamed persons. A district police officer said raids are being conducted for the arrest of the accused persons.

The main accused is still on the run. A brother of the deceased, however, alleged that the police let off the main accused. "There were 10 policemen on the spot...they were saving the culprits and beating us. When DhirendraPratap Singh was fleeing after firing, the police had caught him from behind. But they later took him to a nearby embankment and let him go," TejPratap Pal, the brother of the deceased, told reporters on Friday.

TejPratap Pal's brother Jai Prakash (46) was shot dead after the SDM decided not to go ahead with the meeting over allotment of ration shops due to a dispute between members of self-help

groups.