UP violence: District police chief, 2 cops shunted out

Three senior police officials, including a district police chief, were shunted out even as one of the main absconding accused, a saffron activist, in the Monday's Uttar Pradesh violence said that he was ''awaiting'' the nod of his outfit to surrender.

This comes six days after an SHO and a youth were killed in a violent clash between police and a mob following recovery of animal bones in some fields of Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahar district, about 500 kilometre from Lucknow.

Suspense continued over the arrest of army jawan Jeetu Fauji, who has emerged as a prime suspect in the killing of Subodh Kumar Singh, the in-charge of Syana police station during Monday's violence with conflicting claims emanating from district officials.

Official sources said that district police chief K B Singh has been replaced by Prabhakar Chaudhary.

A circle officer (CO) and the Chingarwati police outpost in-charge were also shunted out.

Sources said that one of the accused, Bajarang Dal (BD) district convener Yogesh Raj, who has been absconding, told his friends that he would ''surrender'' once he got a nod from his organisation.

Police have been conducting raids to nab Yogesh and other accused in the violence.

According to police sources in Lucknow on Saturday, a police team from the district was camping in Jammu to arrest Jeetu, who was posted at Kargil in Jammu & Kashmir.

While some officials said that Jeetu was being brought to Bulandshahr, some others said that he was in the Army's custody.

Jeetu's brother, also an army jawan, and wife claimed that he was ''innocent'' and that the police were ''framing'' Jeetu.

Police made Jeetu its prime suspect after a video, which emerged on Thursday, showed Jeetu firing at the policeman during the clash.

Nine people had so far been arrested in connection with the violence.

Seven people have also been arrested on charges of cow slaughter that had led to the violence.