Slain cop acted as ‘peacekeeper’ after Akhlaq’s lynching: Villagers

GREATER NOIDA: Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, villagers in Bisada and his police colleagues recall, would often come up with unusual ideas to diffuse a potential law-and-order problem. Singh, who was shot during the December 3 mob violence in Bulandshahr, had become known all over the village for his proactive role in maintaining peace after the September 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq, a Muslim man who was attacked over rumours that he had consumed beef.
Singh, always cordial, had held a kabaddi tournament in the village to promote amity. He had also organised a mass wedding for Muslim couples following rumours that families from the community had started leaving Bisada in fear, local residents said.

Some villagers also said Singh was an expert in handling mobs — he was the first policeman to reach the scene after Akhlaq’s murder and confronted the frenzied mob — saying it should be investigated if he was targeted. “It is difficult to say whether the mob knew he was the same policeman who had investigated the Akhlaq lynching or not. But we cannot ignore the fact that only he was killed. This is very sad, yet suspicious,” said a villager who did not wish to be named.

Amit Sisodia, also a Bisada resident, said though there would be frequent law-and-order problems in Bisada following the lynching of Akhlaq, nobody had ever attacked a policeman. “A protester was hit by a bullet fired by a policeman in 2015. But in Bisada, the mob never attacked any policeman. In Bulandshahr, it seemed like people deliberately went after the police,” he said. Kumar was the SHO of Jarcha police station when Akhlaq was murdered.

Local BJP worker Sanjay Rana, father of the main accused in the Akhlaq lynching, said, “We will always remember him for his unbiased investigation. He had also collected the meat sample that was kept in a fridge in Akhlaq’s house.” Rana said Singh had made him a witness in two cases — one of cow slaughter and the other that was filed against his son and others for allegedly lynching Akhlaq. “The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 17. I feel his loss. Only he knew that the allegations of cow slaughter (against Akhlaq) were true,” Rana added.

Singh had investigated the lynching case from September 28, 2015, to November 9 that year. The chargesheet was, however, filed by another officer. Anurag Singh, the circle officer of Dadri during the Bisada lynching, told TOI Kumar had held a number of meetings to restore peace in the village. “During the very critical law-and-order phase in the area, it was Subodh who did the maximum legwork and always came up with innovative ideas. Like, once we had organised a kabaddi match with people from distant villages. When there were rumours of Muslim families leaving the village, we organised a collective wedding to restore peace and harmony in the area,” Singh added.