UP Police admit firing bullet that killed protester in Bijnor

BIJNOR/LUCKNOW: Two senior officials of Uttar Pradesh Police have admitted that a policeman fired the bullet that killed a protester participating in anti-citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests on December 20 in Bijnor district, the first time any law enforcement official in the state has admitted to the police firing on protesters.

Eighteen people have died because of the violent protests against the law in the state, of which at least 14 have died of bullet injuries. Thus far, senior police officials have insisted that all the firing was done by the protesters and that the police did not shoot at them.

Soon after the Bijnor protests, UP director general of police OP Singh had said the police did not fire on protesters.

However, Bijnor superintendent of police Sanjeev Tyagi said on Tuesday that Singh might not have been updated about events in all locations when he said this. Admitting that one of the persons killed in Bijnor was hit by a bullet fired by a policeman, he said senior police officials had now been updated about facts related to the districts.

“130 bullets fired by the public were found. The police fired a far lesser number, and in self-defence,” he said. When asked about the death of 20-year-old Mohammad Suleiman, he said the policeman who had fired the bullet was also shot in the stomach. “There were mobs at eight different places…22 other policemen were injured,” he added.

On Friday, December 20, a wave of violent protests started across several UP towns and cities following afternoon prayers in mosques.

On Tuesday, Kanpur’s senior superintendent of police Anant Deo said the police fired five rounds in the air during the anticaa protests. Records at the Lala Lajpat Rai hospital in Kanpur show that six people were admitted with bullet injuries. Three of them subsequently died.

Interestingly, Tyagi himself was caught on video on December 21, saying Suleiman was hit by a bullet fired by a policeman in self-defence and that another, Anas, died after being hit by a bullet fired by one of the protesters.

Soon after the video went viral, Tyagi said, “I have not issued any such statement. My remarks were twisted in media reports.”