In first admission, UP police says it shot Bijnor man in self-defence

In its first official admission of firing, the UP police have confirmed that Mohammad Suleman from Bijnor, a civilian, died after being shot at by constable Mohit Kumar in self-defence.

The admission comes after a denial UP by the police that not even a single bullet had been fired despite protestors sustaining bullet injuries.

Suleman was in the final year of graduation and had plans to prepare for the UPSC. He was studying in Noida and had come to his native place Nehtaur as he was ill.

Sanjeev Tyagi, Superintendent of Police, Bijnor told the media, “One cartridge was retrieved from Suleman’s body. The ballistic report confirms that this was shot from the service pistol of Mohit Kumar. Mohit Kumar also suffered a bullet injury. The bullet taken from Mohit Kumar’s stomach was found to be shot from a country-made weapon.”

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It was reported that at least 26 people were injured during the violent protests against CAA, including 20 policemen. While Suleman, 20, and Anas, 21, died, Mohit Kumar and three other policemen who were deployed in Nehtaur police station area suffered bullet injuries.

Mohit Kumar, attached with Bijnor police’s Special Operation Group (SOG), is undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Bijnor and doctors said that his condition was critical.

Bijnor police’s initial report states that the protestors snatched the pistol of one of the sub-inspectors, Ashish, following which the police chased the mob. The report also says that Mohit was shot at by Suleman and hence he fired back.

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However, the police did not find any weapon on Suleman and Ashish’s service pistol also couldn’t be located.

SP Tyagi also added that investigation was underway and the statements of people who were present in the spot were recorded.

Meanwhile, Suleman’s family has contradictory claims regarding his death. They believe that the police took him to a lane near the mosque where he offered namaz, and shot him. The other victim, Anas’s family has also claimed that he was shot in a street where the protests were not even happening and that he stepped out to get milk for his seven-month old son.