Bahraich violence: 5 suspects held after encounter with Uttar Pradesh cops, 2 suffer gunshot injuries

Police personnel keep a vigil in the violence-hit area of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday, October 17. Pic/PTI

Five people accused of killing a 22-year-old man were arrested in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday, October 17, following an encounter with the police, news agency PTI reported. Two of the accused have suffered gunshot injuries, a senior officer said, adding that the accused were trying to flee to Nepal, which shares a border with Bahraich district.

"Five accused have been arrested. I have information of exchange of fire and gunshot injuries," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash told a news channel.

Yash, who is also the chief of the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police, said the Bahraich cops, who are probing the murder and the subsequent violence that broke out in the district following it, has already established the link of one of the accused in Nepal.

Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said those arrested have been identified as Mohammad Faheen, Mohammad Sarfaraz and Abdul Hameed, Mohammad Taleem alias Sabloo and Mohammad Afzal. Faheem, Sarfaraz and Hameed have been named as accused in the first information report (FIR).

According to Kumar, a police team arrested Faheen and Taleem. Based on the information given by them, the team went to recover the weapon used in the murder in the Nanpara area of the district. However, the team was allegedly fired at by Hameed, Sarfaraz and Afzal. In retaliatory firing, Sarfaraz and Taleem were seriously injured, PTI reported.

"They are being treated. The weapon used in the murder has been recovered," the UP Police chief said in a statement. The condition of the injured duo is stated to be stable.

A doctor at a local health care centre said, "Two people were brought here around 2.35 pm. One of them was named Sarfaraz and the other Taleem. One of them had injuries on his left leg and the other on his right leg. The bullets are still inside their bodies. I have referred them to the district hospital in Bahraich for X-ray and further management. Both are in normal condition."

Violence broke out during Durga Puja immersion procession

The violence broke out at Maharajganj in the Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich district on October 13 allegedly over loud music being played outside a place of worship during a Durga Puja immersion procession.

A local, Ram Gopal Mishra, who was part of the passing group, died of gunshot wounds in the ensuing violence, triggering vandalism and arson in the area with mobs torching several houses, shops, showrooms, hospitals and vehicles.

Meanwhile, Rukhsar, the daughter of Hameed, the landlord accused of firing at Mishra, released a video, stating, "Around 4 pm yesterday, my father and two brothers, Sarfaraz and Faheem, and another youth were picked up by the UP STF. My husband and brother-in-law have already been picked up. There is no news of them. We fear that they may have been killed in an encounter.

Shortly after the encounter, the Samajwadi Party took to social media, alleging "rampant crimes" in the state and questioned if "riots and encounters" were being staged to divert people's attention from law-and-order issues.

"Crimes are rampant in the BJP-Yogi government, jewelery of women, sisters and daughters is being stolen and snatched. Are riots being instigated to divert public attention from these crimes and are encounters being carried out to hush the matter?" the party's media cell posted on X.

It also attached a clip of a Hindi news article with the headline: "Chain looted from a medicine trader by goons near a state minister's house in Muzaffarnagar".

(With PTI inputs)