New Delhi, December 4: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat said that the Bulandshahr mob violence "appears to be a pre-planned incident" as similar attempts were made in western Uttar Pradesh using the issue of cow slaughter to create communal tensions when polls are close. Karat also mentioned the Muzaffarnagar communal riots that had taken place in 2013 and said that "everyone remembers how riots took place in Muzaffarnagar in 2013 before the Lok Sabha elections. Bulandshahr Violence Post Ijtema Pre-Planned? Cow Remains Left in Open to Trigger Communal Tension, Says Report.

On Monday, inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead by the mob that was protesting against alleged cow slaughter in the district. The mob had even attacked the police station and the vehicle that the inspector was in was found severely damaged. News agency IANS said that when Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh tried to reason with the demonstrators and persuade them to clear the traffic jam they had caused, he was attacked both with blunt objects and also fired at, killing him instantly.

Inspector Singh was investigating officer in the Akhlaq lynching case of Dadri between September 28, 2015, and November 9, 2015. Bulandshahr BJP MP Bhola Singh Blames Ijtema For Chaos and Violence Which Killed Inspector Subodh Kumar.

A 19-year-old youth named Sumit was also killed and his post-mortem report has made it clear that he died of a gun wound. Investigation is on to ascertain who fired at the youth, said police. According to the latest reports, the complaint of slain youth Sumit's father has been filed as an FIR.

At least 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced during the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts in 2013. The riot has been described as "the worst violence in Uttar Pradesh in recent history", with the army, as a result, being deployed in the state for the first time in last 20 years. The Supreme Court of India while hearing petitions in relation to the riots held the Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi Party, prima facie guilty of negligence in preventing the violence.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 04, 2018 05:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).