Key accused in Bulandshahr riot case gets bail

Yogesh Raj was granted bail in the sedition case on Wednesday and had earlier been given bail in the rioting and
conspiracy case.

On December 3 last year, a riot broke out in Bulandshahr’s Siyana area following a protest over an alleged cow slaughter at a farm. In the melee, Siyana in-charge inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead allegedly by one of the protesters using his service revolver. Another accused, Sumit who was part of the mob, was killed as the policeman fired at him in self-defence.

A special investigation team had filed a chargesheet against 38 accused in connection with the riot. Thirty-three of them, including Yogesh Raj, were charged with rioting and violence, and the rest with the murder.

An exchange of a series phone calls between Yogesh Raj and other accused on December 3 morning had triggered the violence, according to the chargesheet. The police had said that Yogesh Raj was instrumental in mobilising people for the protest.

Shikhar Agarwal and six others, charged with rioting and violence, were granted bail on August 24. They were welcomed with garlands and chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ outside the district jail.