Husband of Mayor Sunita Verma and former BSP MLA from Meerut, Yogesh Verma, seems to be in soup following his arrest during the recent Bharat Bandh agitation. Besides gearing up to book him under the National Security Act (NSA) for inciting violence, the police have reopened his history which was closed.

Shortly after his arrest on Monday when the violence was being reported in different parts of the city, SSP Manjil Saini had called Yogesh Verma the mastermind of the violence, indicating serious action against the BSP leader.

Now, his history sheet, which Verma had somehow managed to get closed, is being reopened by the police.

SP City Maan Singh Chauhan said that Verma was a history-sheeter as per Daurala police station records. “Later his history sheet number 143A was transferred to Pallavpuram police station. But he managed to get it closed and its monitoring was also stopped. It has now been reopened,” said the SP.

The entire city was engulfed by violence with incidents of arson and stone-pelting by the protesters who had come out on the streets during the Bharat Bandh agitation against Supreme Court’s order on the SC/ST Act. Verma was arrested with his supporters for inciting violence which had claimed the life of a protestor, Ankur, besides leaving many, including cops, injured.

He had 8 cases registered against him in the past and police opened his history sheet and officials said new cases will also be added to his history sheet. The cops are also reportedly collecting the details of his wealth and family properties. This is not a good indication for Verma.

Verma’s wife and Mayor Sunita, however, claimed that her husband is falsely implicated. She had to wait for over two hours to meet her husband in the district jail. Sunita was elected Mayor a few months ago, defeating BJP’s Kanta Kardam who has now been elected Rajyasabha MP. It was considered Yogesh Verma’s victory more than that of his wife.

“In fact, BJP leaders are trying to take revenge of their defeat in Mayoral election,” said Gautam, a Dalit leader who asserted that he, along with few other Dalit leaders, has also been implicated falsely. All this is being done to damage the Dalit movement, he said.

According to the police sources, liquor and money were distributed among the people a night before the violence. It is also being said that Verma wanted to project himself as a Dalit leader in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019 as he is eyeing to get the ticket from Meerut seat. An official said that it is evident from the fact that violence erupted in areas which fall under the Meerut-Hapur Loksabha constituency.