While the UP DGP OP Singh maintains that ‘not a single bullet was fired’ during the unrest, the Bijnor police for the first time has admitted having opened fire in self-defence during the protests.
Bijnor was among the Uttar Pradesh districts where violence broke out on Friday over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Bijnor Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Tyagi told India Today TV, “On 20th [December], the weapon of a policeman Mohit was snatched by the hooligans and he was attacked. In self-defence, he fired and the bullet hit Suleiman. His friends took the body and he was later declared dead.”
Suleiman, 20, was preparing for his civil services entrance exam. His family claims he had nothing to do with the protests.
“My brother had gone to offer namaaz. He was returning home after the namaaz to eat something. He had fever for the last couple of days. He did not go to the mosque near our home. He went to another mosque. When he stepped out, there was lathi-charge and tear-gassing by the police. The police picked him up and shot at him,” said Suleiman’s brother Shoaib Malik.
Apart from Suleiman, Anis – a 21-7year-old – had also lost his life in the firing. Although, the police maintain that the bullet that killed him was shot by one of the protesters.
Bijnor Police sources, India Today TV spoke to, maintain that he died due to firing by someone using a private gun in the crowd and not by the police.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited Bijnor on Sunday and had met the families of Suleiman and Anis.
The families claim the police intimidated them after the incident and warned them not to speak to anyone about the incident.
Eighteen people have died in the state, many of them from bullet injuries, but the state police have maintained that it has not fired a single bullet at protesters anywhere.
This story first appeared on IndiaToday.com on December 24, 2019 here.