Two accused involved in the Bahraich violence case were shot by the police on Thursday while attempting to flee to Nepal. A 22-year-old man was killed in the violence that broke out on October 13.
Two accused in the Bahraich violence case were shot by the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday while they were allegedly attempting to flee to Nepal. Both the accused have been identified as Sarfaraz alias Rinku, and Mohammed Taleeb.
According to UP Special Task Force (STF) chief Amitabh Yash, the two were shot on the border after the police had received information about their presence in the area.
“Five main suspects have been arrested. Based on information from two of them, the police went to recover the murder weapon that they had hidden near Nanpara. A loaded gun, along with another weapon, was hidden there, which was recovered. In retaliatory firing, two suspects were injured and medical treatment is being provided to them,” Bahraich SP Vrinda Shukla said.
“Sarfaraz and Mohammed Taleeb were shot on the leg. We have referred them to the district hospital for intensive care. We have not taken out the bullets yet,” said a doctor at Nanpara Community Health Centre.
Bahraich Violence
Violence broke out at Maharajganj in the Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich district on Sunday allegedly over loud music being played outside a place of worship during a Durga Puja immersion procession.
A local, Ram Gopal Mishra, 22, part of the passing group, died of gunshot wounds in the ensuing violence, triggering vandalism and arson in the area with mobs torching several houses, shops, showrooms, hospitals and vehicles.
The police have so far rounded up 55 suspects besides deploying heavy security in the mixed-population town where tension escalated over the playing of the song — “Chahe Jitna Jor Laga Lo, Aayenge Phir Yogi Ji“.
A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, told news agency PTI that raids were conducted at Chandpara and Nakwa villages late on October 16 in search of the main accused, but no arrests were made.
The family members of the deceased have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against six named and four unknown people.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, religious leaders from both Hindu and Muslim communities, including Mahamandaleshwar Swami Ravi Giri Maharaj, President of Ram Leela Committee Shyamkaran Tekariwal, and Maulana Qari Zubair Ahmad Kasmi, made appeals to people to restore peace and harmony.
UP govt hiding failures by doing encounters: Akhilesh Yadav
Meanwhile, commenting on the incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that encounters are the new way for the Yogi Adityanath government to hide its failures.
“This incident was an administrative failure. The government is doing encounters to cover up their failure. If encounters had been improving the law and order of the state, UP would have been way ahead of most states,” Yadav told the media.
#WATCH | Bahraich Encounter | Barabanki: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav says, “This incident was an administrative failure. The government is doing encounters to cover up their failure… If encounters had been improving the law and order of the state, UP would have… pic.twitter.com/JwHfhNJJ0G— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2024
The former UP chief minister also said why there was “no police security” when “such a big event” was being organised. “If permission had been taken for the procession, why wasn’t it carried out peacefully? If they cannot handle such a small event, how can one expect them to safeguard law and order in the state.”
No one has the right to take law in their hands: Waris Pathan
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan also slammed Adityanath government over the encounter, stating that no one has the right to take the law into their own hands.
VIDEO | Bahraich encounter: “The country can be governed by law and order and not by UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s encounter policy… Nobody has the right to take law into their own hands. If someone shot Ram Gopal Mishra, it is definitely wrong, but there is a process to be followed… pic.twitter.com/bFkXRg6wj9— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 17, 2024
“The country can be governed by law and order and not by UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s encounter policy… Nobody has the right to take law into their own hands. If someone shot Ram Gopal Mishra, it is definitely wrong, but there is a process to be followed for justice,” Waris noted.
Should police put garland on criminals? asks OP Rajbhar
Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar, an ally of the BJP, defended the police’s actions, stating, “When the police go to arrest someone and bullets are fired at them, will the police garland them or shower flowers on them?.”
#WATCH | Bahraich violence accused injured in encounter, 5 arrested, Uttar Pradesh minister O.P. Rajbhar says, “When the police go to arrest someone and bullets are fired at them, will the police garland them or shower flowers on them?… Dead or alive, they (criminals) have to… pic.twitter.com/RK2hS8ULG2— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2024
“Dead or alive, they (criminals) have to be caught. If they have committed a crime, they will have to live underground or in jail or go to heaven… There should be order in the country and the state,” Rajbhar added.
