The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, the main accused in the 2018 Bulandshahr violence case, that left a police officer and a civilian dead.

Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and Sumit Kumar, one of the Bulandshahr rioters, were killed during the mob violence on December 3rd, 2018.

The advocate appearing for the petitioner argued that Raj had no role in the violence and that the others accused were already let out on bail in this matter.

His release comes a month after five accused of sedition in the Bulandshahr violence were released on bail on the 25th of August. They were welcomed with chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by their supporters outside the district jail.

The counsel for the state government opposed the bail, saying the applicant had committed a serious offence of sedition.

Yogesh Raj, the then Bajrang Dal head for Bulandshahr district, was among those accused of inciting a mob of over 400 people to kill Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during the clashes which broke out over suspected cow slaughter.

The violence had erupted in the city after carcasses of around 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police station. Locals had alleged the carcasses were of cows, slaughtered illegally.

The incident occurred at a time when lakhs of Muslims had been travelling to Bulandshahr for a Tablighi Jamaat’s ijtema (religious gathering).

The rioters, after engaging themselves in a violent protest, proceeded to the nearest police substation in Chingravathi village to report the alleged incident of cow slaughter.

When a bigger crowd started to gather, police personnel from the main police station in the nearby village of Siyana arrived. In the clash that ensued, the police opened fire after the crowd pelted stones and a few in the mob fired at the police.

On January 3rd, 2019, the police had arrested Yogesh Raj, charged him for sedition under Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code.

Also Read: 7 Accused In Bulandshahr Violence, Which Killed An Inspector, Given Bail; Receive Heroes’ Welcome