Police on Friday detained five people and arrested the brother of a local BJP leader who allegedly shot dead a 46-year-old man as a fracas broke out at a meeting attended by administration and police officers in Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. As the opposition parties targeted the BJP government over the incident in the Reoti police station area, local party MLA Surendra Singh sought to defend accused Dhirendra Pratap Singh and said had he not opened fire in self-defence, "dozens of his family members and associates would have been killed".

The police administration admitted that there was prima facie "laxity" on its part and suspended nine policemen — three sub-inspectors and six constables — posted at Reoti police station. Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Suresh Chandra Pal and circle officer of police Chandrakesh Singh were suspended on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath soon after the incident on Thursday.