A judicial magistrate in Uttar Pradesh sent an Army soldier to 14 days in jail on Sunday for his alleged role in the murder of a police inspector in last week’s Bulandshahr mob violence, PTI reported.
The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to the state police after midnight on Saturday. “His preliminary investigation has been done,” Special Task Force Senior Superintendent Abhishek Singh said in Meerut.
Unidentified officials said that Malik, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, was detained from the 22 Rashtriya Rifles unit in Sopore, The Indian Express reported. His alleged involvement in the violence came to light after a video reportedly showed him opening fire. Malik was home for vacation when the violence broke out.
Additional Director General (Law and Order) Anand Kumar confirmed that the “person in the video is Malik” and said a police team had been sent to Jammu and Kashmir to arrest him. “You can clearly see him fomenting trouble and instigating the crowd,” he told NDTV. “We have an inkling that this Army man is involved in stone-throwing. Video and testimony are available to place Jitendra Malik at the spot. Why is an Army man instigating the crowd, why should he be raising these slogans?”
Kumar added that Bajrang Dal activist Yogesh Raj, who is also accused in the case, will be tracked down soon. At least nine people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence on December 3 in which inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 20-year-old Sumit were killed. The protestors were agitated after cattle carcasses were allegedly found in the fields in Mahaw village. According to a BJP leader named in the FIR, Singh had attempted to stop them from filing a complaint about the alleged cow slaughter.
Abhishek Singh said Malik accepted during interrogation that he was present at the spot when the crowd had started gathering. “It is not yet ascertained if he is the one who shot the inspector or Sumit,” he said. “He [Malik] said he went there with villagers, but denied pelting stones at the police.” The police official added that Malik’s mobile phone will be forensically examined.
The state government on Saturday transferred Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police Krishna Bahadur Singh reportedly for negligence. Two police officials were also transferred in connection with the violence.
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