AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also questions the official narrative
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A police constable from Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Yaqub, was fatally shot in the head when a bullet “accidentally” discharged from the jammed pistol of Sub-Inspector (SI) Rajeev Kumar during a raid in Aligarh district in the early hours of Wednesday.
The raid was aimed at apprehending cow slaughter suspects, media reports reaching here said on Thursday.
According to an official report, SI Rajeev Kumar was attempting to load the jammed pistol when it discharged. The bullet passed through his abdomen before hitting Yaqub in the head.
The official version said the police received information that a suspect from Bulandshahr, Gokshi, was heading their way. Immediately, a police team and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) were put on high alert. Before the suspects could be arrested, a mishap occurred when a pistol was “accidentally fired” during an attempt to unlock it, hitting Sub-Inspector Kumar in the abdomen and a constable in the head, resulting in his death. The incident took place around 9-10 pm in Gavana, Aligarh.
The SI is currently receiving medical treatment.
A video of the injured SI has emerged on social media, where he explained that he and his team were acting on a tip-off to arrest suspects involved in cow slaughter. He mentioned that during the raid, his pistol jammed, and while trying to fix it, a bullet was suddenly fired. This bullet grazed his stomach and hit Constable Yaqub in the head.
The family of the deceased is skeptical of the official explanation with Yaqub’s father demanding an investigation.
“The police told us that a bullet struck my son’s head after loading a jammed gun. I am not able to understand how the bullet hit his head,” he said.
SSP Sanjeev Suman said after the firing Constable Yaqub was immediately sent to a hospital for treatment, where the doctors declared him dead.
The family of the deceased constable is struggling to understand the official explanation, finding it difficult to believe that the bullet pierced the SI’s abdomen and then hit Constable Yaqoob in the head. “There is something fishy in the whole episode,” a family member said on condition of anonymity.
The All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also expressed doubts over the incident.
Posting on X, the Hyderabad MP questioned the narrative: “A jammed pistol – accidentally got fired – pierced SI’s abdomen and hits Yaqub’s head, so what must have Yaqub body position at the time of fire ???? ? I am sure inquiry will be done.”