Lucknow. Five accused in the case of violence and murder of Ram Gopal Mishra during idol immersion after Durga Puja in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh have been arrested. Two of these accused were caught after the encounter. The accused were trying to escape to Nepal, during which there was an encounter with the police, in which murder accused Rinku alias Sarfaraz Khan and Mohammad Talim were badly injured. Both of them were shot in the legs.
Police said that the accused were planning to flee to Nepal. Both are undergoing treatment at Bahraich Medical College. The encounter between the accused and the police took place near Handa Basehari Canal in Nanpara Kotwali area, 20 km from the Nepal border. STF and Bahraich police took Sarfaraz and Talim along to recover a double barrel gun and a pistol. According to SP Vrinda Shukla, the accused had kept the gun and pistol loaded with bullets. Those people opened fire on the police. The police first asked him to surrender. Later, in retaliation, Sarfaraz and Talim were shot.
On Thursday itself, the police had also arrested Sarfaraz’s brother Faheem, father Abdul Hameed and Mohammad Afzal. It is noteworthy that a procession for the immersion of Durga idol was being taken out at 6 pm on Sunday, October 13, in Maharajganj market, about 40 kilometers away from Bahraich. The people participating in the procession were playing DJ. Meanwhile, when some youth asked the DJ to stop, a dispute broke out. Violence broke out within a short time. More than 20 rounds of firing took place along with stone pelting and arson. 22 year old Ram Gopal Mishra died in this. Later, Mishra’s family members and village people demonstrated by placing the dead body in front of the medical college. The next day on October 14, violence continued till noon. More than 50 houses, hospitals and showrooms were set on fire.