22-year-old Chandan Gupta was shot dead during communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj on Friday. As per a report, Saleem, who runs a cloth store in Kasganj, had allegedly taken a shot at Gupta during the violence. Now the police have arrested Saleem.
“(Saleem) fired from either the roof or the balcony of his house, as per statements of some witnesses. Some weapons were recovered in the last two days and we are hoping to do a ballistics match between them and the bullet found in Chandan’s body,” said Anand Kumar, a senior police officer in charge of law and order.
However, it is unclear whether Saleem has a criminal record, as two of his brother has also been named in the killing that occurred after a “Tiranga Yatra” to mark Republic Day in the town around five hours from state capital Lucknow.
As per police complaint filed by Chandan Gupta’s father, his son was stopped by the accused who snatched and threw away his national flag, attempted to make him shout pro-Pakistan slogans at gunpoint and shot him in the head when he refused.
Police have named a total of 20 people.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had organised the “Tiranga Yatra” and Chandan was among the bikers who had participated in the yatra.
Violence broke out, as per various accounts, when the “Yatra”- featuring bikers and others carrying the national flag and saffron flags – attempted to go through a Muslim-dominated area.
Now the police are investigating a video, in which several young men appeared on road armed with guns, sticks and clubs, apparently from the part of the town where the clashes occurred. They say the video was taken from a rooftop at a time when Chandan was killed.
“We are trying to reconstruct the sequence of events,” said Anand Kumar, an Additional Director General with the UP police.
On the “Tiranga Yatra” and criticism of the police for allowing it, Kumar said, “The Tiranga (tricolour flag) is a national symbol and should not evoke any controversy.” He further said that all district administrations were taking steps to assure that the atmosphere was not vitiated during any “Tiranga Yatra”.