Suspect flees as villagers attack NIA men, UP cops
NEW DELHI: A suspect who allegedly supplied arms for the killing of an RSS leader in Punjab managed to flee from a Ghaziabad village after locals allegedly fired upon a raiding team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Uttar Pradesh police on Sunday.
The joint team was following a lead in connection with the killing of religious leaders in Punjab since last year.
“During the raid, a large crowd of men and women tried to obstruct the local police and the NIA team. Some people in the mob started firing . The firing was followed by stone pelting,” the NIA said in a statement.
The mob allegedly blocked roads. The police and NIA men fired in the air in self defence.
A UP police constable Tahjib Khan suffered injury in his leg and an official vehicle was damaged. The additional director general of Meerut zone said, “The constable sustained a minor gunshot injury. The police registered a case into the violence.”
The NIA has been entrusted with the probe into the killing of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain in Punjab’s Ludhiana in October.
Punjab police had arrested two suspects, Ramandeep Singh and Hardeep Singh of Italy (his parents live in Amloh of Fatehgarh Sahib), for their alleged involvement in the killing.
During interrogation of the Punjab-based accused, names of some suspects from western Uttar Pradesh emerged .
The agency has been raiding various places in Meerut district since Saturday night.
On getting more leads, a raid was conducted at the residence of suspect Malook (a resident of Nahali village) on Sunday , when the locals fired upon them and pelted stones, the NIA’S spokesman said.
But Malook’s brother Naushad said the teams were mostly dressed in civilian clothes.
“They were asking for my brother and had jumped into our house from nearby houses,” Naushad said.
When the cops were leaving after picking up Malook, villagers questioned them about his offence. When they did not answer, it created resentment, he said. Angry villagers then obstructed the police, who allegedly opened fire, prompting the locals to pelt stones. During the melee, Malook fled.
Naushad said Malook was involved in a murder case in 2011, for which he was lodged in jail and freed 9 months ago.
“He operates a small dairy business and was at home when police arrived. We don’t know his whereabouts. He is being implicated in a false case,” he said.
Police conducted an area domination exercise on Sunday and picked up a person allegedly involved in mobilising villagers against the cops. A case has been registered against nearly 150 persons, including Malook’s family members, in connection with the violence and efforts are on to trace Malook.