Bulandshahr-violence accused get hero's welcome, UP-government says 'no big deal'
For the Uttar Pradesh government, the hero's welcome bestowed on men, accused of inciting violence in Bulandshahr which led to the death of a cop, is no "big deal". To give you context, seven people facing serious charges in Bulandshahr violence case were released on bail last week. They were greeted with garlands, amid chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".
Backstory: In December '18, mob killed a police inspector
To recall, in December 2018, a frenzied mob went on a rampage in Chingrawathi village (Bulandshahr) after cow carcasses were found in a nearby forest. The mob, consisting of nearly 400 people, pelted stones at police officials and alighted vehicles. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who went to control the situation, was cornered, and brutally attacked. Subsequently, he passed away.
Cut to 2019, seven accused got hero's welcome
Thereafter, over 30 people were booked for the crime. Now, seven of the accused, including Shikhar Agarwal (former chief of local BJP youth wing), Hemu, Upendra Raghav, a former army man Jeetu Fauji, Saurav and Rohit Raghav, were given bail. As the accused came out, locals greeted them like stars. They were garlanded, people hugged them, and raised slogans.
Here's a video of the "welcome"
Opposition making mountain out of molehill, said deputy CM
The clip, which went viral instantly, sparked outrage from the Opposition but BJP said it was blown out of proportion. UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya told ANI, "If supporters of people who have been released from jail welcome them, the government and BJP have nothing to do with it. The Opposition should not make a mountain out of a molehill."
Meanwhile, SIT chief said murder accused are still in jail
Further, Raghvendra Kumar Mishra, who headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to investigate the violence said the seven who were given bail were accused of arson and weren't booked for Singh's murder. The six booked for the cop's death are still lodged in jail, he added. Notably, the SIT submitted its chargesheet in March 2019 in the court of a chief judicial magistrate.
SIT revealed Singh was attacked with axe before being shot
The SIT charged Prashant Natt, a cab driver, and four others for the murder of Singh. According to police, Natt attacked Singh with an axe before shooting him with his licensed revolver. The SIT also said Bajrang Dal activists "led" the crowd. "The crowd was responsible for destroying State property and the violence was incited to create law and order problems," read the chargesheet.
