One of the prime accused from 148 persons booked for the communal clashes in Aurangabad on March 25 and 26, had fled from police custody on Thursday. Anil Singh (49), a Bharatiya Janata Party worker was involved with an organization called Hindu Sewa Samiti. He managed to flee when he was presented in a local court. “Singh was taken to court for being produced when he managed to escape. The action is being taken against negligent policemen,” Aurangabad SP Satya Prakash told The Indian Express.
Singh has reportedly surrendered before court, reported Business Standard. However, he quashed claims that he fled, saying that the police never arrested him.
Aurangabad Clashes
During Ram Navami celebration, communal clashes broke out between two communities when a procession was marching through the local Jama Masjid in Aurangabad town. Over 60 people were injured, around 50 shops were burned, and 20 policemen were injured due to stone pelting. Following the clashes, a prohibitory order was given to maintain law and order and more than 100 people were held in the Nawada district. The situation turned grave on Monday, which led to the imposition of curfew in the vicinity.
Singh’s involvement
As per reports, Singh was among 30 accused of communal clashes in 2016. For several years, Singh has been organising Ram Navami processions taken out by the Hindu Sewa Samiti, which also has a unit in Uttar Pradesh. He joined the BJP in 2007.
Earlier, he was associated with the ABVP and later joined Rajput leader Anand Mohan’s Bihar People’s Party. Anand, who is the party face, is serving life imprisonment in Gopalganj DM G Krishnaiah murder case. Singh was acquitted in the murder case of his cousin Satyendra Narayan Singh in 1999. Later, he remained in jail for at least seven years.
In 2010, he had campaigned for the BJP’s Ramdhar Singh, who fought the Aurangabad Assembly seat and became a minister.
Backgrounds of others accused
Ujjwal Kumar, Aurangabad BJP spokesperson, and Deepak Kumar who is an ABVP leader have been booked under Arms Act provisions, as reported by DNA. An FIR (95/2018) under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147, 148 and 149 (rioting and unlawful assembly) and 295A (outraging religious feelings) has also been filed. Ujjwal was named for mobilising support, and is now absconding.
Sujeet Singh, a BJP supporter and Khairadih Panchayat Mukhiya is absconding, and Police have arrested his brother Ranbir Pratap Singh.
Furthermore, three FIRs have been registered against 148 persons in Aurangabad, and so far 125 have been arrested. From Nalanda, police have arrested 36 and around 12 from Samastipur. Approximately 74 have been named for stone pelting at Silao. There is no confirmation by the police on the arrest of two BJP leaders, who were taken into police custody for a few hours.
Among the 148 people who were booked in Aurangabad are an RJD leader, four Muslim ward councillors and a local leader. About two-thirds of them are from Yadav-dominated villages and aged between 18 and 30.
According to the three FIRs, the clashes were triggered by a group of Muslim stone-pelters in Aurangabad, when a motorcycle procession was marching through a Muslim-dominated area.
Stone pelting began after provocative slogans were allegedly raised.
In Bhagalpur, communal violence had erupted a week ago over loud music during a religious procession which was organized by Arijit Shashwat, son of Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
