Ballia firing: Court orders FIR against other faction; weapon used in crime recovered

Meanwhile, police recovered the weapon used in the crime and said Ballia BJP leader Dhirendra Pratap Singh revealed during investigation that he had hid it under a tree near his house after the incident at Durjanpur village on October 15. The court on Friday ordered the registration of an FIR on a application moved by one Asha Pratap Singh of Durjanpur village.

Days after a local BJP leader was arrested for allegedly killing a man during the allotment of a ration shop, a court here on Friday ordered the registration of an FIR against the other side involved in the clash. Meanwhile, police recovered the weapon used in the crime and said Ballia BJP leader Dhirendra Pratap Singh revealed during investigation that he had hid it under a tree near his house after the incident at Durjanpur village on October 15.

The court on Friday ordered the registration of an FIR on a application moved by one Asha Pratap Singh of Durjanpur village. She claimed in the application that after "cancellation of the meeting" on October 15, a group of people attacked villagers, in which Dhirendra Pratap Singh and seven others were injured.

The application said over 40 people, including the deceased Jai Prakash Pal, were involved in the clash. Accepting the application, the court directed police to lodge an FIR in the matter and take necessary action. Earlier in the day, police in a statement said the Ballia BJP leader had used his licensed revolver during the incident, leading to the death of Jai Prakash Pal, also called Gama Pal. A Ballia court had on Wednesday remanded the BJP leader in police custody for two days. He was taken to his house in Durjanpur village by police on Thursday. Dhirendra Pratap Singh was arrested from Lucknow on Sunday. When asked by media about the incident, Singh had said, "I fired in self-defence and for the security of my family.” Earlier, a delegation of the Samajwadi Party went to the residence of Jai Prakash Pal and handed over cheque for Rs 2 lakh to his family. Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar too on Friday attacked Ballia BJP MLA Surendra Singh, accusing him of instigating caste clashes through his statements supporting the accused in the case.

Rajbhar, who met the victim’s family, criticised the MLA for defending the accused and alleged that the legislator was issuing such statements at the behest of the BJP. "Had any leader other than Surendra Singh issued such statements, a case would have been lodged against him," Rajbhar said, alleging that the BJP was trying to create confusion over incidents in Hathras, Durjanpur and other regions, to save its leaders.