Police have claimed to have solved the mystery death of Sachin Walia, brother of Kamal Walia, Bheem Army district president in Saharanpur, with the arrest of Praveen, who they alleged had mistaken fired a countrymade weapon, killing Sachin.

At a press conference in the police lines in Saharanpur on Tuesday, DIG Sharad Pradhan said Sachin’s death was accidental and it was not a murder. He said on 9 May, on the day of Maharana Pratap Jayanti, Sachin succumbed to the bullet injury which he sustained in accidental firing by Praveen, who has been arrested and sent to jail.

In their investigation the police learnt that Sachin was with seven others in the house of Romilal in Ramnagar area on 9 May.They were checking a loaded CMP when suddenly Praveen pulled the trigger, injuring Sachin who was declared dead by doctors when taken to hospital.

Raising questions on the police investigation, Kamal Walia demanded the arrest of Nihal, in whose house the incident had taken place. He said it is a matter of investigation what eight people were doing in a room with fully loaded weapon. Also he wondered why Sachin was on one side and the other seven on the other side with a loaded weapon.

” I am not concerned with any caste or community but that the real culprit is arrested,”said Kamal.

After Sachin’s death on 9 May the Bheem Army had created a brouhaha in the district hospital. The entire district was gripped by tension. Exactly a year ago there was a clash between Dalits and Rajputs on the issue of carrying out a procession to mark Maharana Pratap Jayanti. This had led to largescale violence in which Dalit houses were torched. Bheem Army chief

Chandrashekhar alias Ravana was arrested and booked under NSA for holding a Mahapanchayat. He is still in jail and Dalits are demanding his immediate release.

Sachin was also associated with the Bheem Army and his death on Maharana Pratap Jayanti was linked with this ongoing tension by some Bheem Army members.

Bheem Army national spokesperson Sanjeev Nautiyal said they are keeping a watch on the case. Some more facts have to be unearthed, he added.