Ghaziabad, May 29 (PTI) The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of the ruling BJP, on Thursday raised concerns over the alleged harassment of villagers in the wake of the murder of a police constable during a raid in Nahal village of this district.

The Ghaziabad police have denied the allegations, saying they are not arresting any innocent person.

RLD’s Uttar Pradesh unit vice president Kunwar Ayyub Ali, in a memorandum submitted to Ghaziabad Police Commissioner J Ravindra Goud, expressed dismay that residents of Nahal-Masuri village were being “tortured” by police under the pretext of tracking down those involved in the deadly attack on a police team.

On May 25, a team from Phase-3 police station in Gautam Buddh Nagar was attacked when it reached Nahal village in search of a criminal wanted in a theft case.

The team, which was not in uniform, reportedly did not inform the local police before the raid. In the attack, constable Saurabh Kumar Deshwal, 28, of Noida police was fatally shot in the head.

RLD leader Ali told PTI that over 50 per cent of the village’s families have since fled to nearby villages, fearing indiscriminate arrest.

He demanded that a dedicated police team be formed to identify and arrest only those involved in the firing and stone-pelting incident that led to the constable’s death.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said that 14 accused have been arrested so far in the case and nearly 50 others identified through CCTV footage.

However, the individual believed to have fired the fatal shot has not yet been identified, the officer said.

DCP Tiwari also refuted claims of arbitrary arrests, asserting, “The police are not arresting any innocent person. Locals should remain in the village without fear.” PTI COR KIS KVK KVK