Man accused in 2018 Siyana violence made BJP zonal president in UP

Ahlawat, who is currently out on bail, has been charged with rioting, assault to deter public servant from discharging his duty among others.

Two persons, including Siyana SHO Subodh Kumar Singh, were killed in the violence that took place on December 3, 2018.

Speaking to The Indian Express on Monday, Ahlawat said that he has been falsely booked in the case. “I had gone to the spot to find out what was happening as the incident took place in my village Mahav. I was then BJP’s Siyana Mandal secretary. I was standing and watching the protest from a distance and a few people present at the spot were taking photographs and making videos. Police booked me because I was seen in the photographs and videos. Like me, several other residents of my village have been falsely booked in the case.”

“This is the only police case against me. I suffered a lot due to it. I have been appointed president of BB Nagar Mandal because of my hard work and long association with the BJP,” said Ahlawat, who is also the pradhan of Mahav village, and has a business of farming and dairy.

It has been alleged that Ahlawat had called up the prime accused, then Bajrang Dal convener Yogesh Raj, and informed him about the alleged cow slaughter incident in his village. Soon after a mob gathered at the spot and went on a rampage demanding action.

Ahlwat, however, denies making a call to Yogesh Raj. “On the day of the incident, one of the police personnel asked me for my cellphone. I gave it to him. He called Yogesh Raj and spoke to him. Now, no one is now ready to accept this,” Ahlawat told The Indian Express.

According to his lawyer, Ashok Dagar, police have filed chargesheet against 44 people, including Ahlawat, in the riot case.

“Among the 44 accused, six of them have been charged with murder. Sachin Ahlawat has not been charged with murder,” said Dagar, adding the trial in the case has been going on, and statements of four prosecution witnesses have been recorded so far.

Ahlawat said that he spent three months in jail following his arrest before he was released on bail.

BJP’s Bulandshahr district president Vikas Chauhan also defended Ahlawat, saying, “Because of the photographs and videos of the incident, police had named Sachin Ahlawat in the FIR. Sachin was only present at the spot. He is not a professional criminal and has no other case against him.”

“Sachin (Ahlawat) has been associated with the party for around a decade and took part in several agitations. There should not be any issue over making him zonal president,” added Chauhan.

Calls to BJP’s state unit present Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary went unanswered.

On the morning of December 3, 2018, trouble started after cow carcasses were allegedly found in a field at Mahav village. Demanding prompt action, around 50-60 villagers loaded the carcasses in tractor-trolleys and parked them outside the Chingravati police booth, blocking the highway leading to Bulandshahr. Yogesh Raj and several other accused protested, demanding action against a few Muslims who they accused of cow slaughter.

Then Siyana police station in-charge, Subodh Kumar Singh, reached the spot along with his team and requested villagers to clear the traffic, promising to file an FIR and prompt action. As Singh tried to control the situation, the mob went on a rampage. In the violence, the SHO was brutally thrashed by the mob before he was shot dead with his service revolver. During the violence, one of the protesters was also killed. A separate murder FIR was registered against “unnamed persons” in connection with the protester’s death.