In a dramatic development, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday appointed Manish Mishra as the new Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) for Bulandshahr. He has replaced Raees Akhtar, who has now been transferred to PAC headquarters in the stater capital Lucknow.
Akhtar is a 2014 batch IPS while Mishra was serving at Modern Control Room in Ghaziabad. The latest reshuffle follows the transfer of Bulandshahr SSP KB Singh for alleged negligence during the violence in Mahwa village of the district on 3 December.
Action on the cops continue after the #BulandshahrViolence, after the SSP and 2 more cops, now ASP (rural) transferred. Manish Mishra appointed new ASP (rural) Bulandshahr. He replaces Raees Akhtar, who has now been transferred to PAC headquarters, Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/uL49nQmBFv
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) December 9, 2018
He was replaced with Prabhakar Chowdhary. Singh’s removal was met with celebrations among the Hindutva groups, who had demanded his transfer from Bulandshahr. A video of local BJP MLA Devendra Lodhi being hailed as a hero for ensuring Singh’s transfer had gone viral on social media.
ONLY in UP: Bulandshahr BJP MLA’s supporters celebrate exit of ‘tough’ SSP, garland MLA Devendra Lodhi for ensuring his transfer.
Supporters believed that the SSP was HARSH with locals during the Bulandshahr violence PROBE. pic.twitter.com/Fl3mDrGYhI
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) December 8, 2018
Among other reshuffle, Syana Circle Officer Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingrwathi police outpost incharge Suresh Kumar too have been shunted out of their current postings for alleged dereliction of duty.
Bulandshahr had turned into a battlefield last Monday, when angry Hindutva militants killed a police officer, Subodh Kumar Singh on the rumours of a cow slaughter. Police have arrested five people, allegedly belonging to militant Hindutva outfits such as Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit floated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Cops investigating the violence have also arrested an army soldier, Jitendra Malik, who was visiting home on a leave when the violence broke out. Malik is accused of having played a key role in fanning the violence that led to the murder of police officer.