New Delhi:
After days of constantly denying firing any bullet at the protesters during violent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act stir, the Uttar Pradesh government has finally admitted to opening fire at the agitators. The admission comes after an UPSC aspirant died of bullet injury in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor. The victim has been identified as one Suleman. The 20-year-old was among the crowd that had gathered during the anti-CAA protests in Bijnor last Friday. Soon the stir turned violent and as per the official police statement, constable Mohit Kumar fired at Suleman. The UP Police has maintained that the firing was in ‘self-defence’. Suleman was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. The constable is also admitted to a nearby medical facility and is recovering.
The victim was in his final year of graduation. He used to live with his uncle in Noida, where he was also preparing for the IAS exams. He had come down to Bijnor since he was suffering from very high fever. According to an Indian Express report, initially, the police had said that the mob had snatched the service revolver of the Sub-Inspector and when the cops chased the rioters, one of them shot at the police party with country-made weapon. The constable fired at the agitators in self-defence. The Indian Express report adds that so far, the police has not been able to recover the service revolver. It also says that the cops have not be able to confirm or deny whether Suleman had any weapon with him at the time of the clashes.
Bijnor was one of the districts in Uttar Pradesh affected by violence by anti-CAA protesters who hurled stones and brickbats at policemen and torched some vehicles. Uttar Pradesh has been the worst-hit state during the CAA protests. So far, 18 people have died and several injured in the violent clashes.
Over 5,000 people have been taken under custody and around 705 have been sent to jail. The Yogi Adityanath government is also expected to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against 250 protesters. Around 269 policemen were reportedly injured in Uttar Pradesh and 57 received bullet injuries. The Uttar Pradesh Police also seized 405 country-made revolvers and pistols.
