Bajrang Dal Leader Yogesh Raj Main Accused in Bulandshahr Violence
BJP youth wing member Shikhar Agrawal and VHP member Upendra Raghav were also named by the police.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday, 4 December, named Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj as the main accused along with BJP youth wing member Shikhar Agrawal and VHP member Upendra Raghav, in the Bulandshahr violence that took place a day before.
They arrested three persons in connection with the violence in the district that led to the deaths of two, including a police inspector.
Meanwhile, the police have registered two FIRs naming 27 people and mentioning 60 unnamed people. While one FIR has been filed against the alleged cattle slaughter, the other one has been registered against the violent protests which followed.
While one FIR has been filed against alleged cattle slaughter, the other has been registered against the violent protests which followed.
Who is Yogesh Raj?
Yogesh Raj (25), a LLB student and a senior leader of the Hindu outfit, Bajrang Dal, had alleged that he witnessed a cow being slaughtered at a field on Monday, 3 December.
Raj’s sister, Seema told The Indian Express, “(On Monday), he took his exams and then got a call from other members of the Bajrang Dal. He went to the area where the carcasses were found and came back in the night (after the violence). He told me not to worry and left, but has not returned since.” His college, according to the report, has denied holding any exam that day.
Raj hails from the Newbans village of Bulandshahr's Siyana and was known for “fixing” domestic disputes and for his hardline view on cow slaughter, reported The Indian Express.
According to the FIR, he was one of the first persons to discover the carcasses. He had told the police that he saw six men slaughtering cattle while he was roaming in the jungles of Mahaw with his companions.
In the violence, Inspector SK Singh was shot in the head during the clashes between the mob and the police. One of the agitators was also killed in the clashes as the police tried to tackle the angry mob.
The violence erupted following the alleged recovery of animal carcasses that the Bajrang Dal claimed were of cows.
(With inputs from IANS and News18)
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