Srinagar: A soldier has emerged as a key suspect in the killing of a police inspector in mob frenzy over cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Monday. Jeetu Fauji, an army man posted in Srinagar, is suspected to have fired the shot that killed Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, NDTV reported quoting sources.

Two police teams have been sent to Jammu and Kashmir to track down Jeetu Fauji, who is seen in various videos of the mob violence in Bulandshahr. He may be arrested today, NDTV reported.

Sources said Jeetu Fauji ran away to Jammu and Kashmir after the incident.

Three persons have been arrested for the mob violence which erupted after cow carcasses were found scattered in a forest near a village.

Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and his team had gone to the village to tackle the violence when they came under attack. On video, a wild mob is seen chasing the policemen and shouting: “Maaro, take his gun!” Inspector Singh was assaulted with a sharp weapon and then shot in the head.

In one of the mobile videos apparently taken by the rioters, Jeetu Fauji is seen in front of the police officer around the time he was killed.

Jeetu was in the village on the day of the violence and went back to Jammu and Kashmir the same evening.

Police sources say there are other videos in which the same man is present and part of the mob.

At Jeetu’s village, his mother told NDTV the police vandalised their home when they came looking for him on Wednesday. She claimed that her son was in Kargil.

Mother of soldier Jeetu Fauji, suspected to have shot Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, claims that her son is in Kargil

The mother said she did not believe her son had killed inspector Singh. “If he is the one who has killed the inspector, then he deserves to be punished,” she said.

A senior officer investigating the incident told NDTV it is too soon to say conclusively that Jeetu Fauji is the one who shot inspector Singh.