ADG reports easing tensions in Bulandshahr after violent protests

The situation in violence-hit Bulandshahr is gradually returning to normal, ADG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar said Tuesday.

Kumar, who visited the scene of violence to take stock of the situation, said four people have been arrested in connection with Monday's incident, that left a police inspector and a 20-year-old youth dead.

"Tension has eased in the strife-torn Bulandshahr and efforts are on to ensure there is no trouble in future," he told reporters here.

Police have lodged an FIR against over two dozen people for rioting and murder, officials said.

As many as 27 people have been named in the FIR, registered early Tuesday morning while cases have been lodged against 50 to 60 unidentified people, they said.

"Four of the named accused have been arrested," Syana Circle Officer Satya Prakash Sharma told PTI Tuesday.

The ADG said six police teams were working on the case and trying to identify the accused by monitoring video footage of the incident.

The police inspector, who had probed the Akhlaq lynching case initially, and the local man died of gunshot injuries as a rampaging mob protesting alleged illegal cow slaughter torched a police post here and clashed with cops, according to police.

Additional Director General (Meerut zone) Prashant Kumar had said Monday the protestors from Mahaw village and nearby areas pelted stones on police and indulged in arson, set ablaze several vehicles and Chingarwathi Police Chowki, after some body parts of cows were found in a jungle near the village.

Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Krishna B Singh said police were probing the matter and raids were being conducted to arrest other accused.

The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 147, 148, 149 (related to rioting), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 302 (murder), 307 (murder attempt), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house), among others.

(With inputs from agencies.)