Subodh Kumar, the police inspector who was killed on Monday, 3 December, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district during a clash over reports of illegal slaughter, was the investigating officer in the Mohammad Akhlaq lynching case.
Anand Kumar, ADG (Law and Order) confirmed that Kumar was the investigating officer in the case from 28 September 2015 till 9 November 2015. However, the charge sheet was filed in the case by a different IO in March 2016.
Kumar played a key role in giving the meat samples in the case to forensic lab, reported DNA. He was the Station Officer of Bisada police station before being transferred to Varanasi. The police had reportedly said at the time that it was a routine transfer.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Anurag Singh, circle officer posted in Lucknow, who had worked with Kumar on several assignments said that Kumar always faced challenges with bravery.
“On at least three occasions, I saw him refuse to back down from such a situation,” Singh said.
According to Singh even after the Dadri incident, Kumar went to the village, multiple times to make sure that the situation doesn’t escalate.
Subodh Kumar’s Father Served in UP Police As Well
Speaking to The Indian Express, Kumar’s cousin Saurabh said the former got the job on compensatory grounds after his father’s death due to a prolonged illness.
Kumar is survived by his wife and two children.
What Happened on 3 December?
The family of the police officer, based in Noida, reached Bulandshahr on Monday evening to recover the body.
Subodh Kumar, who was posted at the Siana Police Station in Bulandshahr district, was shot by a stone-pelting mob and was rushed to the Aurangabad Community Health Centre (CHC) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A man identified as Sumit also died in Monday’s clashes.
Anand Kumar, ADG (law and order), reportedly said the post-mortem showed that Singh received a bullet injury along with being hit by a “hard and blunt object”.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the death of the police inspector and the civilian in the violence, and assured a speedy investigation and a compensation package for the victims.
On Monday morning, angry villagers and members of several Hindu groups gathered on the Bulandshahr-Syana road with a cow carcass and pelted stones at police personnel.
(With inputs from DNA, PTI and The Indian Express)
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