Bittu Bajrangi held, police say he had weapons at Nuh yatra

Nuh police said an FIR against him was registered on a complaint by ASP Usha Kundu at Sadar Nuh police station Tuesday. The charges against him include assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty; voluntarily causing harm to deter a public worker from doing duty; rioting; and Section 25 of the Arms Act.

Police said the FIR also names 15-20 other individuals under various IPC sections and the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons.

Bajrangi, police said, was questioned by the team regarding the violence in which six people died in Nuh and Gurgaon.

Bittu Bajrangi was arrested by the CIA team of the Nuh police Tuesday evening from his Faridabad home, said Faridabad Police. (File Photo)

The ASP’s complaint stated, “On July 31, during my duties related to maintaining law and order for the Jal Abhishek Yatra, around 12.30 pm, 300 metres away from Nalhar temple, I encountered a group of 15-20 individuals going towards the temple. We had asked people not to carry weapons during the yatra and during a peace committee meeting, this was reiterated to organisers.”

“Some of them were carrying swords and trident-like weapons. With the assistance of my staff, I managed to prevent them from using these weapons and causing harm. One individual, Bittu Bajrangi, identified through social media, along with his associates, attempted to snatch these weapons from my fellow police officers and me,” the complaint stated.

“We seized these weapons with the help of the police force and brought them to our official vehicle. Bajrangi and his associates then sat in front of my official vehicle and began shouting slogans against the police… (They) broke the rear window… took away the seized weapons and threatened police officers. They acted against the law by using illegal weapons and threatening behaviour,” it stated.

Faridabad Police spokesperson Sube Singh said police are going through videos to identify his associates. He also said the Faridabad Cyber Police is monitoring social media in this case. “If anyone from any caste/religion/community posts instigating speeches or content on social media, strict action will be taken against them,” he said.

Earlier this month, Bajrangi was arrested and later released on bail in connection with a video posted on the morning of July 31, police said. In this case, an FIR under IPC Section 295A was registered at Dabua police station.

The FIR stated: “Through social media, Bittu Bajrangi has made a video by coming live on Facebook… To create religious frenzy, he is instigating and provoking a specific community…”

The Faridabad chief of Gau Raksha Bajrang Force, Bajrangi has figured in multiple FIRs in the district related to alleged hate speech. In these incidents, police registered FIRs against him in Dhauj and Mujesar police stations of Faridabad by taking cognizance of videos of him allegedly hurling abuses against a community.

“Bittu Bajrangi has been provoking and instigating his fellow organisations to gather against the particular community in order to incite religious frenzy in his videos,” one of the FIRs, registered on July 4, said.

He was also named in a complaint by a Faridabad man who alleged Bajrangi and others took away his cattle on the pretext of cow protection.