Meerut: A 21-year-old man was reportedly killed in police firing in Meerut on Tuesday.
The police claim they opened fire when the victim along with four other persons in their vehicle were smuggling cattle and had not stopped when asked for checking. While one was shot dead others escaped said the police.
The victim shot was identified as Irshaad a Muzaffarnagar resident. The Police said a sub-inspector was also shot in his arm in the firing.
The Police has filed an FIR against the four unidentified men after the injured Sub-Inspector Om Prakash Arya filed a complaint, Indian Express reports.
The FIR is filed under IPC Sections including 307 (attempt to murder) and the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, at Sardhana police station.
The Police also claims to have recovered four bulls, two country-made weapons and six live cartridges from their vehicle. The police believe the cattle were being taken for slaughter.
“On the directives of Meerut SSP Akhilesh Kumar, we were checking vehicles at around 2.30 am on Tuesday in Sardhana when we spotted a Bolero pick-up moving towards a school. When we signaled the driver to stop for checking, he took a U-turn and sped away while the other occupants of the vehicle started pelting stones at the police,” said Inspector in charge of Sardhana Police station Prashant Kapil.
He further added that he informed Saroorpur police that the vehicle was headed in their direction.
“When we reached there, the occupants of the vehicle opened fire on us and we retaliated. A bullet hit Irshaad on the forehead while his four accomplices managed to escape. Irshaad died during treatment at a local hospital,” he said.
Irshad’s father Dilshaad (44), said he has no idea why his son was in Sardhana in the first place.
“I had dinner with Irshaad and other members of my family at around 9 pm and then went to sleep. Early Tuesday morning, the village pradhan, Yunus, told me that my son had met with an accident in Sardhana. An hour later, he told me Irshaad had died. I don’t know how and why Irshaad reached Sardhana,” said the wailing father who lost his son.
Responding to the incident, Maganveer Singh Gill, in-charge of Muzaffarnagar’s Ratanpuri police station, said, “There was no case registered against Irshaad here… Irshaad used to rent out his Bolero pick-up and would himself drive the vehicle sometimes…His father has not filed any complaint with us in this connection so far.”