The Uttar Pradesh police on Tuesday arrested Four people and detained a few in connection with the violence after a mob rampaged through a Bulandshahr neighbourhood against alleged cow slaughter during which two people, including a police official, were killed.
"The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate why the violence happened and why the police personnel left Inspector Subodh Kumar alone," said Prashant Kumar, ADG Meerut Zone.
Police have lodged two FIRs in the case. One FIR is against the alleged cattle slaughter and the other against the violent protests which followed. 27 people have been named in FIR against violent protests and 60 unnamed people have also mentioned in the FIR.
"My father wanted me to be a good citizen who doesn't incite violence in society in the name of religion. Today my father lost his life in this Hindu-Muslim dispute, tomorrow whose father will lose his life?," Subodh Kumar Singh's son Abhishek told ANI.
As tension prevailed in the area following the violence that lasted nearly three hours, the Uttar Pradesh government deployed additional police, including over 1,000 personnel of anti-riot forces.
Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is in Rajasthan for election campaign, said strict action will be taken against the guilty after the probe reports are received.
In Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh government announced a total of Rs 50-lakh assistance to the kin of Inspector Singh. The government said Rs 40 lakh would be given to his wife and Rs 10 lakh to his parents.
Giving details of the incident, the ADG (Law and Order) said trouble started this morning when carcasses of the cows were found dumped in a forest area outside Mahaw village.
"Activists of right-wing organisations soon gathered at the spot and alleged that people of a community were indulging in cow slaughter," he said.
Angry villagers and members of various Hindu groups brought the animal remains in a tractor-trolley to the Chingarwathi Police Chowki and demanded action against the culprits.
They raised slogans against the police administration and blocked the Bulandshahr-Garh State Highway.
Inspector Singh, who was posted at the Siana Police Station, suffered a gunshot injury in addition to wounds from hard and blunt objects.
Inspector Singh was investigating officer in the Akhlaq lynching case of Dadri between September 28, 2015 and November 9, 2015.
The mob lynching of Akhlaq over rumours of cow slaughter and possession of beef in his home had triggered a massive outrage across the country.
(With agency inputs)
