Bulandshahr Cop’s Murder: UP Police Turns Focus on Cow Slaughter Complaint by Key Accused

The killing of a police officer and a civilian during right-wing mob violence over alleged cow slaughter in Bulandshahr district has brought to the fore the priorities of UP Chief Minister Adityanath. According to reports, at a review meeting held on Tuesday night, the chief minister and the BJP leader seemed more concerned about the alleged cow slaughter than the murder of a police officer and the complete breakdown of law and order. Of course, later, he did announce compensation for the slain cop’s family and also a job to a family member.

If Tuesday night’s statement by the UP government is any indication, Adityanath ordered his officers to speed up arrests on alleged cow slaughter, according to an NDTV report.

In a government press release cited by NDTV, Adityanath is quoted as telling officers in the meeting: "Tough action needs to be taken against those who carried out cow slaughter."

“Yogi Adityanath reportedly ordered the arrest of everyone related to the slaughter of cows and strict ban on illegal slaughterhouses. There was not a word about the two murders, the statement reveals,” said the report.

As a result, the UP Police is now pursuing two cases. One on cow slaughter and the other on the killing of two persons -- Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a civilian Sumit Kumar.

Interestingly, Yogesh Raj, a Bajrang Dal activist, who is one of the key accused in the policeman’s murder, is also a complainant in the alleged cow slaughter case. Raj has been absconding since Tuesday.

On the basis of Raj’s complaint against seven people, the UP police on Wednesday picked up two – children aged 11 and 12 years, and detained them for hours in the police station, as per reports.

The Opposition parties lashed out at the UP Chief Minister, who recently claimed that his state now had the “best” law and order situation so far, for attending a laser show and a kabaddi event in Gorkahpur when violence was going on in Bulandhshahr.

The politburo of the CPI(M) alleged that the violence was planned with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls. It said that the sudden eruption of violent protests took place on the pretext of cow slaughter as carcasses were found under suspicious circumstances in a village in Siana area.

On Monday, inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was attacked while trying to quell mob violence on the streets after some villagers landed up with cow carcasses on a tractor trolley, alleging slaughter. His car was reportedly chased int the field where he was allegedly shot dead.  Incidentally, Singh was an investigating officer in the Dadri mob lynching case of Mohd Akhlaq till November 2015. His sister has alleged a conspiracy behind the murder, linking it with the Dadri case.