Late-night raids, cops on rampage, its chaos in Bulandshahr

Lucknow, Dec 5: Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr is on the edge after the death of a cop in violence triggered by alleged illegal cow slaughtering. First, the carcasses of the cows were found in a the sugarcane fields near Mahaw village, then people reportedly carried these carcasses in tractors on the roads. More people gathered, and soon there were hundreds and violence looked imminent.

The police personnel tried to reason with the crowd, and requested the mob to calm down. But their worst fears came true as the mob turned violent and began pelting stones at them. Cops were outnumbred so they trieds to flee, but in the melee Siyana SHO Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead.

The administration then swung into action, FIRs were filed and arrests were made. Of the 28 individuals named in the FIR prepared by Bulandshahr Police on Tuesday, eight belonged to Right-wing organisations such as the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and BJP Yuva Morcha, said reports.

Amid all this, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting over the Bulandshahr violence on Tuesday evening. He reportedly directed the police to take strict action against those involved in the alleged cow slaughter.

Neither the chief minister nor the officials present at the meeting said a word about the murder of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot in the head as he was trying to pacify the mob, a News 18 report said.

But what has now emerged is that Yogi Adityanath will meet family of inspector Subodh Singh in tomorrow.

Some of the accused who have been arrested by the police are said to be linked to VHP and Bajrang Dal. The political slugfest over the incident has already bgun with the opposition parties squarely blaming the ruling BJP for violence.

In its response, the cops have now gone on rampage. Almost 30 policemen looking for the men named in the Bulandshahr mob violence FIR reached the homes of the accused in the early hours of Tuesday and allegedly thrashed their wives and sisters and vandalised property, a News 18 report said.

"Government is taking up proper steps and an order for investigation has been given. Stringent actions will be taken against the culprits," Dinesh Sharma, UP Deputy Chief Minister, told the media.

The Uttar Pradesh police has so far arrested four accused in the case from among 27 named and 60 unidentified people in the FIR.