Bulandshahr violence: Prime accused Yogesh Raj releases video, denies involvement

Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, the main accused in the Bulandshahr violence, on Wednesday released a video on social media claiming he was being framed by the police in the case. Yogesh, district convenor of the saffron outfit, said he was not involved in the crime. Police have arrested four persons on Tuesday but Yogesh Raj is still on the run.

Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, the main accused in the Bulandshahr violence.

BULANDSHAHR: Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, the main accused in the Bulandshahr violence, on Wednesday released a video on social media claiming he was being framed by the police in the case. Yogesh, district convenor of the saffron outfit, said he was not involved in the crime. Police have arrested four persons on Tuesday but Yogesh Raj is still on the run. "The police are projecting me as if I have a major criminal record. There were two incidents that took place on that day (Monday). A cow was slaughtered in Mahab village near Siyana and I went to the spot with other activists. People from administration also went there," he said, adding that they later went to police station to file an FIR. "While being at the police station, we were informed that the villagers have indulged in stone pelting at the spot and shots were also fired, in which a youth and a policeman were injured," he added.

Claiming innocence, Yogesh said when a case was being filed on our demand in the police station, why the Bajrang Dal would take up any protest. He said he has no role in the "second incident" and was not present at the spot. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Anand Kumar had earlier told mediapersons that the police were on the lookout for Yogesh Raj. "Yogesh is on the run. Yogesh Raj, a local functionary of the Bajrang Dal, is the culprit and we are trying to nab him," Kumar had said. The Bajrang Dal has asked Yogesh to surrender before police and said it believed he is innocent. He is among the nearly 90 people booked for rioting and violence. A police inspector, Subodh Kumar, and a youth, Sumit, were killed as a mob protesting over illegal cow slaughter went on a rampage on Monday in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district, torching a police post and clashing with police, which opened fire. The government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the violence, the circumstances leading to it and to identify the people and groups involved. The violence erupted after saffron activists went berserk alleging that some cows had been slaughtered by a community.