Inspector's killing in Bulandshahr violence an 'accident': Yogi Adityanath

New Delhi: Days, after a police inspector was killed during the Bulandshahr violence, erupted over alleged cow slaughter, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the murder an 'accident', adding that whoever responsible for it will be punished. Adityanath also said that the cop's killing was not an incident of 'mob lynching'.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's statement came reportedly on Friday while he was speaking at an event in the national capital. His reaction came a day after he met the family members of the slain inspector. The chief minister met Singh's wife and the two sons at his Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow.

On Monday, Adityanath had declared a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife, Rs 10 lakh for the parents and a government job for a family member of the inspector, who was the initial investigating officer in the 2015 Akhlaq lynching case.

So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the violence.

A mob of around 400 people, including right-wing activists, clashed with the police on December 3 in Siana area of Bulandshahr district, after allegedly discovering cow carcasses thrown in a nearby jungle. The angry mob set fire to dozens of vehicles, stone pelted and fired at police who then retaliated with gunfire. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, the station house officer of Siana who once investigated Akhlaq lynching case, and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar were killed in the incident. 

Following the massive political and public outrage over the incident, the police arrested four people a day later. However, the main suspect – Bajrang Dal Bulandshahr convenor Yogesh Raj – is still absconding. Nearly 90 people have been named in an FIR filed in the case.