Even as the BJP Ballia MLA had defended him, Dhirendra Singh — ex-president of the BJP’s local ex-servicemen unit — was arrested on Sunday from Lucknow.
Singh is accused of having murdered Jai Prakash during an event in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia last week. He is the main accused in the case.
IG of Special Task Force (STF) Amitabh Yash told PTI, “Dhirendra Singh, the main accused in the murder of a 46-year-old man in Ballia has been arrested. He was held from Lucknow on Sunday morning near Polytechnic area.”
He was caught on a highway near Lucknow.
The police said that two other accused were arrested in the Vaishali area of Ballia city. The police have arrested eight people in the case.
DIG of Azamgarh Range Subhash Chandra Dubey told PTI, “On Sunday morning, named accused Santosh Yadav and Amarjeet Yadav were arrested in Vaishali area of Ballia city. They were carrying a cash reward of Rs 50,000 on their heads. The properties of the accused will be seized under the Gangster Act.”
Narendra Pratap Singh, the brother of main accused Dhirendra Pratap Singh, and Devendra Pratap Singh are among the other accused in the case. The three “unnamed accused” who were arrested on Saturday have been identified as Munna Yadav, Raj Pratap Yadav and Rajan Tewari, Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Yadav said.
BJP’s Ballia MLA Surendra Singh had defended Dhirendra Pratap Singh saying, “The incident is very upsetting, it should not have taken place but I condemn the one-sided investigation of administration. Nobody is looking at the pain of six women who have been injured in the incident. Dhirendra Singh fired in self-defence.”
Dhirendra Pratap Singh shot dead 46-year old Jai Prakas after a clash broke out in Ballia during a meeting called for the allotment of ration shops.
(With PTI inputs)