Aakhir Tak – In Shorts
- Two accused in the Bahraich Durga Puja procession violence were shot while trying to flee to Nepal during an encounter.
- Sarfaraz and Taleem, key suspects in the killing of Ram Gopal Mishra, were caught near the Nepal border.
- Five people have been arrested so far, two of whom were injured during police firing.
Aakhir Tak – In Depth
In Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, two accused in the Durga Puja procession violence were shot while trying to flee to Nepal. The encounter took place near the Handa Basehri Canal, close to the international border with Nepal. The suspects, Sarfaraz and Taleem, who were charged with killing 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, were injured during the police shootout, suffering gunshot wounds to their legs and were admitted to the district hospital.
Sarfaraz and Taleem, sons of Abdul Hameed, the main accused in the Bahraich violence case, were part of the violent clashes during the Durga Puja procession. According to police reports, Mishra died due to a gunshot wound, confirmed by the postmortem report. A total of five suspects have been arrested, two of whom were injured during the encounter.
Bahraich SP Vrinda Shukla confirmed that the injured suspects were being treated in the hospital, and the weapon used in the incident had been recovered. She added that the National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against the riot suspects. As further facts emerge, stricter action will be taken.
The violence, which broke out over a music dispute during the procession, escalated when stones were hurled and gunfire erupted in Bahraich’s Mahsi sub-division. Several were injured, and in the aftermath, Lucknow Seva Hospital was set on fire, damaging equipment and furniture.
So far, over 50 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. In the wake of the unrest, Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have criticized the state government. UP Congress chief Ajai Rai alleged that the state was resorting to “fake encounters” to cover up its failures, while SP leader Akhilesh Yadav questioned the state‘s law and order management, criticizing its reliance on encounters as a solution.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with Ram Gopal Mishra’s family and assured them of justice. The state government also announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the victim’s family.
