Ballia firing: Prime accused Dhirendra Pratap Singh arrested by STF

Lucknow: Facing severe criticism over the Ballia firing incident, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested the prime accused Dhirendra Pratap Singh and two others in the state capital on Sunday morning.

STF sources here said that Dhirendra Singh was arrested near Janeshwar Mishra park in Gomti Nagar area.

Along with Dhirendra, two others, named Santosh Yadav and Amarjeet Yadav were also arrested. All the three were absconding after the incident and Ballia Police had announced Rs 50,000 reward on each of them.

Till date, nine people have been arrested so far in the firing in which one person was killed in Ballia.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has summoned party MLA Surendra Singh, who has openly supported Dhirendra Singh and even went to the residence of the accused and demanded lodging FIR on behalf of the accused family.

CM has asked Surendra Singh to meet him in Lucknow on Sunday evening.

The BJP MLA has openly supported the accused and claimed that he had fired in self-defence and even went to the extent of saying that police officers are pleading before him so that Dhirendra should surrender.

On October 15 last, Dhirendra Singh opened firing during a meeting in Durjanpur village during a meeting over-allotment of fair price shop.

In the presence of SDM and DSP, who were later suspended along with three others, Dhirendra killed one Jai Prakash Pal during a dispute. Later the Dhirendra escaped from the scene. (UNI)