Bulandshahr Unrest: Police Vandalised Houses, Allege Residents

Clashes broke out in Bulandshahr after carcasses of cattle were found on a farm.

Clashes broke out in Mahav village of Bulandshahr district after carcasses of cattle were found on a farm leading to violence and stone-pelting by a mob.

(Photo: The Quint)

A day after a violent mob took law in their hands over alleged cow slaughter in Bulandshahr, that claimed lives of one police officer and another civilian, the families of farmers on whose farms the carcasses were found have alleged manhandling and vandalising in the case.

The villagers went from Mahav village to Chingravati police chowki where the clashes broke out.

Clashes broke out at Chingravati police chowki where a mob from Mahav village of Bulandshahr district gathered after carcasses of cattle were found on a farm leading to violence and stone-pelting by a mob.

Preeti, wife of Rajkumar on whose farm the cattle was found told The Quint that the police vandalised their house despite them denying involvement in the matter.

“15-20 policemen started banging on our gates around 1:30 am. They did not wait for anybody to open the gate and opened it by force and entered while hurling abuses. They wanted to take my brother-in-law away but we told them that he is a heart patient and the police will be responsible if anything happens to him,” she said.

Preeti further said that her husband was the one who informed the police in the first place.

Resident of Rajkumar on whose farm the carcasses were found.

Residence of Rajkumar on whose farm the carcasses were found.

Residence or Ratan Kaur, whose house was allegedly vandalised by the police.

Residence or Ratan Kaur, whose house was allegedly vandalised by the police.

Residence or Ratan Kaur, whose house was allegedly vandalised by the police.

Ratan Kaur, another resident of the village said that she wasn’t home while 60-70 policemen came to her house, vandalised it and took her husband away.

“I have small grandchildren. They came to my house and hit my daughter-in-law. This would not have happened if I was home,” she told The Quint.

Kaur, whose son Jitender is an accused, alleges her husband Rajpal was taken away by the police.

The Quint tried reaching out to the Bulandshahr SSP, but he was unavailable for comment.

Police arrested four people on Tuesday, 4 December and were hunting for a Bajrang Dal activist in connection with mob violence in Bulandshahr that left an inspector and a passerby dead, as angry families demanded action amid criticism of the UP chief minister and suggestions of conspiracies.

A mob of some 400 people, including right-wing activists, fought pitched battles with police on Monday in Siana area of Bulandshahr district, apparently after right-wing activists were angered by the discovery of cow carcasses strewn in a nearby farm. They set fire to dozens of vehicles, hurled stones and also fired guns at police who retaliated with gunfire. In the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, the station house officer of Siana, and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar were killed.

(With inputs from PTI)