Ballia firing: BJP leader, seven others charged with NSA, gangster act in killing of 46-yr-old, say police

Those accused in the killing of a 46-year-old man at a meeting attended by senior administration and police officials in Ballia will be charged under the National Security Act and the Gangster Act, police said on Saturday, as the hunt continued for the local BJP leader who allegedly shot the man dead. Eight people have been named accused in the incident on Thursday. While police is on the lookout for six people, including local BJP leader Dhirendra Pratap Singh, two have been arrested. Police have also detained five others. Besides the eight accused, the FIR in the case mentions 20-25 unnamed accused. DIG (Azamgarh Range) Subhash Chandra Dubey has announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 on information leading to the arrest of each of the accused. Dubey said, “A cash reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced on each of the absconding accused. Action will also be initiated under the National Security Act (NSA) and the Gangster Act against the accused.” Under the NSA, one can be detained without a charge for up to 12 months if the authorities are satisfied that the person is a threat to national security or law and order. Under Section 14 of the Gangsters Act, a district magistrate can order attachment of a property, whether movable or immovable, if there is reason to believe that it has been acquired by a gangster as commission for an offence triable under this law. BJP leader Dhirendra Pratap Singh allegedly shot dead Jai Prakash on Thursday as a fracas broke out at the meeting at Durjanpur village in the Reoti police station area of the district over allotment of ration shops. Accused Singh, in a video that has gone viral on social media, blamed the SDM, CO and police of ignoring his request to deploy police personnel during the meeting and claimed that one of his family members died in the incident while eight were injured. Singh also said that he served the Army for 18 years and that day he only tried to save his family as he saw his 80-year-old father and sister-in-law being attacked in presence of administration officials. His brother Narendra Pratap Singh and one Devendra Pratap Singh have been arrested in the case. Police have formed 12 teams to nab the remaining accused. Police admitted that there appeared to be “laxity” on their part and suspended nine personnel – three sub-inspectors and six constables – posted at the Reoti police station. Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Suresh Chandra Pal and circle officer of police Chandrakesh Singh were suspended on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath soon after the incident on Thursday.