Sedition charges dropped against 38 accused in Bulandshahr violence
Lucknow, Mar 06: A court here has dropped the sedition charge against 38 people accused of violence in Bulandshahr in which a police inspector and a civilian were killed, their lawyer said on Tuesday. The police, however, rebuffed the claim.
A total of 38 people, including local BJP and Bajrang Dal leaders, were arrested for the violence that broke out in Siyana tehsil of Bulandshahr on December 3, leading to the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and villager Sumit Singh.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the case and it filed a charge sheet in the court of the chief judicial magistrate on March 2, almost three months after the incident.
Bulandshahr violence: Charges filed against 38 in UP cop's murder, rioting
The court took cognisance of the report on Tuesday. "During the argument, the court pointed out that the police does not have a requisite permission for pressing IPC section 124A (sedition) against the accused," defence lawyer Bruno Bhushan said.
"The
police
needs
to
have
permission
from
the
Centre
or
the
state
government
if
charging
anyone
with
sedition,"
the
lawyer
claimed.
Bhushan,
also
a
member
of
the
Vishwa
Hindu
Parishad
(VHP),
cited
Section
196
in
the
Code
of
Criminal
Procedure
(CrPC)-
prosecution
for
offences
against
the
state
and
criminal
conspiracy
to
commit
such
offence-
to
argue
that
a
court
cannot
take
cognizance
of
a
sedition
charge
without
the
police
having
approval
of
the
government.
The police, however, maintained no charge had been dropped and they were awaiting permission from the state government. "We are awaiting permission... no charge (sedition) has been dropped," Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Bulandshahr City, Atul Kumar Srivastava told PTI.
Circle Officer, Siyana, Raghvendra Mishra said: "We have already requested for permission (for pressing sedition charge) and the approval at times takes time because the agency concerned also conducts its inspections before granting permission."
After the December 3 violence, an FIR was lodged at the Siyana Police Station against around 80 people, including 27 named and 50-60 unidentified, for murder, murder attempt, rioting, sedition, damaging public property, among other charges.Those arrested include Bajrang Dal's Bulandhshar unit convenor Yogesh Raj, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's Siyana unit head Shikhar Agarwal, Army jawan Jeetender Malik, and Kalua, who first attacked the inspector, surrounded by five to six men.
PTI