Bulandshahr murder: My father taught us to be secular and all religions are equal, says son of slain police officer

Bulandshahr:  “It is my father who lost his life this time, who is going to be the next?" This question was posed on Monday by Abhishek Kumar, son of Inspector Subodh Kumar who was killed in mob violence here on Monday.

The violence took place after the carcasses of 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police post, with the locals alleging that those belonged to cows slaughtered illegally. "He (Subodh Kumar) wanted us (children) to be good citizens. He wanted us to be the ones who don't incite violence in the name of religion. Be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian, everyone is equal over here,” Abhishek Kumar told ANI.

Son of deceased cop, Abhishek Kumar. ANI

Subodh Kumar was the Investigating officer (IO) in the case of lynching of Akhlaq, who was killed over cow slaugher allegations. Abhishek Kumar, a class 12 student, had just finished writing his exams when he received the unfortunate news of his father's death.

"I had spoken to him (father) a day before the incident. He advised me to work on my weak subjects and to focus more on the subject in which I received lesser marks in the last exams," Abhishek said. On the incident in which his father died, he said, "There were reports of some stone pelting in the concerned police station area and when my father reached the spot, he was hit by a stone on his head. He fell unconscious.”

He said the constables were in the process of shifting Subodh Kumar from the site but the police jeep came under mob attack. “The constables left the place and my father, who was unconscious, was shot above the left eye," Abhishek Kumar said.

Two accused persons have been arrested in connection with Subodh Kumar’s murder, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Meerut zone, Prashant Kumar  said. Police have lodged two First Information Reports in Bulandshahr case. One FIR is against the alleged cattle slaughter and the other against the violent protests which followed.