38 convicted in Bulandshahr 2018 Riots case
LUCKNOW/BULANDSHAHR, July 31 -- A court in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday convicted 38 people, including five for murder, over their involvement in the December 2018 communal violence that led to the murder of a police officer and a 20-year-old local youth, special government counsel Yashpal Singh Raghav said.
The court of additional district and sessions judge (ADJ)-12 Gopal Ji found five of the accused guilty under Section 302 (murder) of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC), while the remaining 33 were convicted under other charges, including attempt to murder and rioting, the lawyer said.
Heavy police deployment from two local police stations was maintained in and around the court during the verdict on Wednesday due to the sensitivity of the case. The judge will pronounce the quantum of sentencing on August 1. On December 3, 2018, a communal violence broke out in the Chingrawathi village under Syana police station limits of Bulandshahr district over allegation of cow slaughter in a neighbouring village. A mob led by Hindu right-wing groups pelted stones at police personnel and torched a police outpost. During the unrest, inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was trying to control the situation, and a local youth Sumit Kumar died after sustaining gunshot wounds.
A total of 44 people, including a district panchayat member and a local Bajrang Dal activist Yogesh Raj, were named as accused in the police charge sheet filed in the court on March 1, 2019. One of the accused is being tried in a juvenile court as he was a minor at the time of the incident while five accused died during the course of the trial.
"Following a robust trial and the evidence available on record, the court convicted 38 accused. The court will announce the quantum of punishment on Friday," Raghav said. Defence lawyer Ashok Dagar expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict and said he will challenge it in the high court. Two accused, Yogesh Raj and former Rashtriya Rifles jawan Jeetendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji, who were initially named as key conspirators in the case, were convicted for rioting, attempt to murder, among others, but not for murder. Raj was recently released on bail.
Meerut deputy inspector general (DIG) Kalanidhi Naithani said those convicted for murder are Prashant Nat, Rahul, David, Lokendra Singh and Johnny, all residents of Chingrawathi. The court found these five convicts guilty of the murder of inspector Singh, the DIG added....
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