A district court has granted bail to Nuh riots accused Raj Kumar (also known as Bittu Bajrangi) on Wednesday, 30 August.
The latest: Bajrangi was presented in the court where the matter was being heard by Additional District Judge Sandeep Kumar Duggal.
He had been taken in for questioning from his residence in UP's Faridabad on 15 August, and was later arrested by the Nuh Police's CIA team in connection with the violence.
Bajrangi was in judicial custody for 14 days.
In a nutshell: Communal tensions had gripped Nuh and several other districts in Haryana after violence broke out on 31 July, during the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra, a procession led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) – a right-wing Hindutva organisation.
Prior to the violence, Bittu Bajrangi released a Facebook video in which he claimed that he would participate in this yatra. Soon, several other videos made by locals in response to those by Monu Manesar and Bittu went viral on social media.
Why it matters: Bajrangi is the president of the Gau Raksha Bajrang Force and an associate of wanted 'cow vigilante' Monu Manesar. He is reportedly known for leading rallies against 'love jihad' and asking his followers on social media to boycott shops run by Muslims.
Between the lines: The bail order issued by the additional district judge revealed what the police found as well as the accused's claims.
"Around 12.30 in the noon time at the main gate outside the area of temple around 300 meter to the said gate 15-20 persons were seen coming towards the temple with having sword and Trisul type of weapon. They were intercepted by her with the help of fellow police officials and they had tried to take away their weapon. All of sudden they got annoyed and had started manhandling with the police party and had also raised slogan against the police. One of them was later on comes to be known through social media was Bittu Bajrangi i.e. applicant," the order read.
"Thereafter, the applicant-petitioner [Bittu Bajrangi] and his other associates had forcibly opened the back door of official vehicle and had forcibly taken their sword and Trisul. In this way the applicant-accused along with his associate co-accused had obstructed the police officials being public servant in discharging of their government duties and had snatched away the illegal weapons i.e. sword and Trisual," it added.
Of note: While the accused's lawyer claimed that he had been in Faridabad when the violence erupted, the police found that "as per registered mobile phone number of applicant [Bittu Bajrangi] his presence was there in District Mewat and at particular location when the presence occurrence had happened."
The charges: Bittu Bajrangi has been charged under the following sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC):
Section 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon)
Section 149 (unlawful assembly)
Section 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty)
Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty)
Section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions)
Section 395 (punishment for dacoity)
Section 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt)
Section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation)
Look back: However, this is not the cow vigilante's first alleged offence. He has previously been named as an accused in at least five cases of hate speech and hurting religious sentiments.
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