Kasganj clash: NSA slapped on prime accused, his two bros for murder of Chandan Gupta

Agra: Eight months after 19-year-old Chandan Gupta alias Abhishek was allegedly shot dead during violent clashes in

Kasganj

during a Tiranga Yatra on Republic Day this year, National Security Act (

NSA

) was invoked against prime accused Saleem Javed and his brothers Wasim Javed and Naseem Javed.

Kasganj district magistrate R P Singh told TOI that “the NSA advisory board had recommended that NSA be slapped against the three accused brothers for the next three months, which may be extended up to a year.”

“For safety and security reasons, releasing the accused would not be an appropriate step as tension still prevails in the district. On almost every occasion, members of two communities attempted to take out Tiranga Yatra or tableau procession. Some groups even tried to use posters bearing Chandan Gupta's pictures while planning to take out rallies. Concerns are there that on the pretext of such rallies and yatras, anti-social elements may again trigger violence in the district,” the DM R P Singh said.

The DM said, “Police investigation reports have found that the accused fired in self-defence after seeing the violent mob heading towards them. Police claimed that Saleem Javed admitted that he fired at Chandan Gupta, who was part of the mob. Police later recovered a .315 country-made pistol from the house of the accused.”

The .315 caliber country-made pistol has a range of less than 20m and fires pellets instead of bullets, said sources. According to eyewitnesses' accounts, Chandan was killed near the Kasganj tehsil office gate, about 60m from Saleem’s house.

TOI had earlier reported that shots were fired on the Tehsil road near Saleem’s home and that pistols, clubs and sticks were carried by youths participating in the Tiranga Yatra on January 26. CCTV footage of the incident clearly shows that three shots were fired during the violence. Police later claimed that one of the bullets hit Chandan.

In another video footage, Chandan Gupta is seen riding a motorbike and Vishal Thakur, who had called the Tiranga Yatra, riding pillion.

Sultan Hassan, a friend of Saleem’s family, said, “Of three accused brothers, Wasim Javed, who is district executive secretary of UP Industrial Representative Committee, was not in the city when the violence took place. He was on a religious tour for over 40 days. The entire case against the three brothers is fake.”

Saleem’s family has a garment store in front of Kasganj city police station and is in the business for the past 40 years.