Bulandshahr violence: Main accused Yogesh Raj arrested, say reports

Lucknow, Dec 6: The main accused in the Bulandshahr violence, Yogesh Raj, a Bajrang Dal member, has reportedly been arrested. Raj is the main accused in the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar on Monday.

Bulandshahr is on the edge Monday after violence erupted over the alleged cow slaughter.

Yogesh Raj, who was absconding since Monday, issued a video message on December 5 claiming innocence, saying he was not present at the site.

Additional Director General (Law and Order) Anand Kumar had earlier told mediapersons that the police were on the lookout for Yogesh Raj.

"Yogesh is on the run. Yogesh Raj, a local functionary of the Bajrang Dal, is the culprit and we are trying to nab him," Kumar had said.

Bajrang Dal's national spokesperson Surendra Jain on Tuesday too had denied involvement of its functionary in the killings and later went on to claim that the incident took place due to the anger of the people.

Singh was one of the two men killed by a rampaging mob protesting the alleged slaughter of cows in Mahav village of the district. Subodh Kumar Singh was cremated in his ancestral village Jaithra in Etah district on Tuesday. The cremation was delayed as Singh's family had demanded to meet the Chief Minister. The family had alleged that Singh's killing was a 'deep-rooted conspiracy'.

First, the carcasses of the cows were found in a the sugarcane fields near Mahaw village, then people reportedly carried these carcasses in tractors on the roads. More people gathered, and soon there were hundreds and violence looked imminent.

The police personnel tried to reason with the crowd, and requested the mob to calm down. But their worst fears came true as the mob turned violent and began pelting stones at them. Cops were outnumbred so they trieds to flee, but in the melee Siyana SHO Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead.

The administration then swung into action, FIRs were filed and arrests were made. Of the 28 individuals named in the FIR prepared by Bulandshahr Police on Tuesday, eight belonged to Right-wing organisations such as the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and BJP Yuva Morcha, said reports.