Mob set police post on fire, screaming ‘maaro, maaro’ – Bulandshahr cop’s witness account

A mob pelts brickbats during a protest over the alleged illegal slaughter of cattle, in Bulandshahr, on 3 December 2018 | PTI

Sub-inspector Subhash Chandra, the witness, alleges that mob surrounded SHO Subodh Kumar Singh, snatched his pistol and took away his phones. 

Lucknow: There were 11 other police personnel — a sub-inspector, two head constables, four constables, three UP home guards and a driver — in the official Tata Sumo that slain inspector, SHO Subodh Kumar Singh, was in during the violence in Bulandshahr Monday.

Singh, who was allegedly shot dead by the mob in the village, had led the 11-member team from Syana police station to Mahav village after having received “information about cow slaughter in the fields” of the village.

“When we reached, we saw that a crowd had gathered due to the cow slaughter incident. The crowd included Yogesh Raj (resident of Naya Bans), Vishal Tyagi (resident of Syana)… under their leadership around 50-60 men and women were protesting,” reads the eye-witness account by sub-inspector Subhash Chandra, who is attached to the Syana police station.

“SHO Syana (Subodh Singh) tried to speak to them and bring the situation under control but they did not listen and started pelting stones.”

Chandra’s testimony is part of the second FIR filed in the mob violence that led to the deaths of Singh and a 22-year-old man. The second FIR has booked main suspect Yogesh Raj, 28, believed to be a member of the Bajrang Dal, along with 26 others named by Chandra, and 50-60 unidentified persons, under 17 charges relating to murder, sedition, arson and dacoity.

A bulk of the second FIR is of Chandra’s recollections of the nearly two-hour ordeal.

A mob that just wouldn’t be pacified

Sub-inspector Chandra has alleged that around 1.35 pm, a large group of people led by Yogesh Raj and the others he has named, had “begun creating a ruckus and blocked the road near Chingrawati police chowki”, which is located on the Syana-Bulandshahr public road. “It was peak traffic time,” the sub-inspector has claimed.

According to Chandra, the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and the circle officer (DSP) of Syana attempted to reason with the crowd and assured them that action would be taken against those accused of the cow slaughter.

“These assurances were given by them on a loudspeaker. Some people were asked to go to Syana police station and collect a copy of the registered FIR but the crowd grew more violent,” Chandra’s complaint reads.

“The people named above continued to incite violence. A section of the mob, with the common intention of killing us policemen, attacked us with illegal weapons, sticks and rods.”

It was in this attack that Subodh Kumar Singh received a bullet wound and was injured, as per Chandra’s testimony.

“They surrounded him and snatched his licensed pistol and three mobile phones, one of which had his official mobile number. They continued to fire, broke the official wireless set and burnt government and private property in the police chowki,” Chandra has said.

“Among the property burnt was a private Wagon R car of the sub-inspector who is also the chowki in-charge as well as two official Tata Sumo cars. They also burnt official documents, records and other property… We put injured SHO in an official vehicle but the mob again launched an attack.”

Senior officer targeted

The second FIR also alleges that the mob targeted the Syana circle officer (DSP-rank officer) Satya Prakash Sharma.

“In order to save his life, CO Syana fled to a room inside the chowki at which the mob got more violent and they set the chowki on fire while screaming maaro maaro,” Chandra’s complaint reads.

“While the police continued to back off in self-defence, the mob of anarchic elements continued to get more aggressive and offensive.”

After witnessing the mob attack, locals of the area hid in their homes, locking doors and windows to save themselves, the FIR says.

“The CO who had locked himself in a room called the control room for additional force following which at least five police officers, including DSPs and SHOs of the district, reached the spot with additional force and rescued him after breaking down the door of the room he was in,” Chandra’s complaint reads.

“The injured SHO was taken to CHS (Community Health Centre) in Lakhawati, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. A few of us received minor injuries. To disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control, Home Guard Rajendra fired in the air once under the supervision of senior police officers.”