The Uttar Pradesh STF has nabbed all five accused, including two after an encounter, on Thursday in connection with the gruesome murder of a youth, Ram Gopal Mishra, during Durga idol immersion in the Maharajganj area Sunday last.
The police detained all the accused, including the three named in the FIR. When they took them to recover the weapon used in the murder, Sarfraz and Talim opened fire on the police with the weapons kept there. Both were shot and injured in the retaliatory fire from the police, SP Vrinda Shukla said here in a press note.
The arrested accused were identified as Mohammad Faheem, Mohammad Talim alias Sablu, Mohammad Sarfaraz, Abdul Hameed, and Mohammad Afzal.
The SP said that both Sarfraz and Talim were hit by bullets on their legs and were admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
Sarfraz and Faheem are the sons of the main accused, Abdul Hameed.
Ram Gopal Mishra was shot dead in the violence during the idol immersion. A case was registered against Abdul Hameed and his two sons, Sarfaraz alias Rinku alias Salman and Faheem alias Raja alias Sahir, along with others on the charge of murder. However, the wife and daughter of Abdul Hameed alleged that the accused were taken into custody from their house last night.
The violence was triggered following a dispute over the playing of a DJ in Maharajganj town of Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich on Sunday evening when the youths from another community started pelting stones at the procession.
In the ensuing melee, the Durga idol was broken. When the puja committee members started protesting against the sacrilege, the members of the other community dragged Ramgopal Mishra (24) inside the house and shot him dead.
After that, violence and arson broke out in several areas forcing the authorities to discontinue Internet services in the district.