35th accused held for Bulandshahr violence, main culprit still on run

One more accused in last month's Bulandshahr mob violence, in which a police inspector and a civilian were killed, was arrested Monday, police said. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has reached 35, they said.

"Pawan Kumar, who was named in the FIR but was absconding, has been arrested," Additional Superintendent of Police (city) Atul Kumar Srivastava said. Kumar, aged around 32 years and a farmer by profession, was held Monday afternoon near the Bugarsi Road in Siyana tehsil, police said. "We are interrogating Kumar and gathering more information, evidence to proceed further in the case," Srivastava said. Last week, a key accused in the mob violence in Bulandshahr was arrested.

Yogesh Raj, the local convenor of Bajrang Dal, was on the run ever since the violence broke out in Siyana tehsil of the district on December 3, 2018, police said. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and civilian Sumit Kumar of Chingrawathi village were killed in the mob violence that broke out after cattle carcasses were found strewn outside a village.

Twenty-seven people were named in the FIR, while 50 to 60 unidentified people were booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc), 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder), 124A (sedition), 147, 148, 149 (related to rioting), 332, 33, 353 (related to voluntary assault on public servant to obstruct them from performing their duty), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others). They were also booked for destroying public property, among others. 

(With inputs from agencies.)