A 29-year-old labourer died of bullet injury in Kareli area of Prayagraj on Sunday following a clash triggered by allegations that a particular community and the Tablighi Jamaat were behind the spread of the coronavirus in the country, police said. Lotan Nishad was allegedly shot in the head and died on the spot at Bakshi Morha village. Police have detained Nishad’s neighbours Mohammad Sona and Naushad, who have denied opening fire. No weapon has been recovered from them so far, police said. They have alleged that the victim was shot during the clash by his elder brother Birjul, who works as a security guard. “The victim’s associates have claimed that they opened fire only after Lotan was shot dead,” a police officer said. Birjul’s licensed single barrel gun has been seized and will be sent for examination, police said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed authorities to charge the accused under the National Security Act (NSA) and announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the deceased. An FIR has been lodged against Naushad and 14 unidentified persons at the Kareli police station, police said. Mohammad Sona was allegedly trying to flee the spot after the firing and was allegedly thrashed by villagers, who handed him over to the police. He is undergoing treatment at the district hospital where doctors said his condition was stable. “During preliminary investigation, it came to light that the victim today made allegations that a particular community and Tablighi Jamaat members are responsible for spreading coronavirus, during a discussion with neighbours. Members of the other community objected to the remarks following which heated arguments took place," Prayagraj Circle Officer Amit Srivastava said. It is alleged that Nishad made the remarks while reading a newspaper near his house. Birjul reached the spot after he came to know of the confrontation. As the situation spiralled into a clash, firing took place and Nishad was injured, police said. “The picture will be clear only after the autopsy report," Prayagraj SSP Satyarth Aniruddha Pankaj said.
