The Allahabad High Court Thursday, 20 December, directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report of the investigation into a recent mob violence in which a police inspector and a youth were killed.
On 3 December, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and the youth were attacked and killed in Bulandshahr by a mob, which was protesting against an alleged cow slaughter in the area.
Hearing a petition filed by Shikhar Agarwal alias Shikhar Kumar, who was accused in the Bulandshahr violence case, a division bench of justices Ram Surat Ram Maurya and Anil Kumar directed the UP government to file a reply in response to the contentions raised by the petitioner.
The court has fixed 18 January, 2019 as the next date of hearing in the matter.
The petitioner said he is a medical student and alleged that instead of investigating the matter, local policemen were harassing his family.
Hence, he requested the court to direct transfer investigation of the Bulandshahr riot from the local police to some other agency in the interest of justice.
However, opposing the petition, the state counsel contended that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up to investigate the riot.
Further, magisterial inquiry is also going on in the violence, the counsel said.
The counsel contended that the petitioner is named in the Bulanshahar riot case and is not cooperating in the investigation.
In order to secure the presence of the accused petitioner, even his property has been attached, the state's counsel added PTI.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)