Nearly seven years after the shocking violence in Bulandshahr in 2018 that claimed the lives of a police inspector and a civilian, a local court found 38 accused guilty in the case on various counts.
The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment tomorrow.
The violence broke out on December 3, 2018, in the Syana area of the Bulandshahr district over alleged remains of a cow discovered in the village of Mahaw. The news sparked outrage among Hindu groups and local villagers.
According to police reports, Yogesh Raj, a district panchayat member and an active member of a Hindu outfit, allegedly mobilized a mob in response to the incident. The mob, carrying remains of the suspected slaughter in a tractor-trolley, marched to the Chingrawathi police outpost on the Bulandshahr highway. There, the protest turned violent with the mob blocking the highway, pelting stones at the police, torching the outpost, and clashing with security forces.
In the ensuing melee, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was trying to bring the situation under control, was shot dead. A local youth, Sumit, also lost his life during the clashes.
Following the incident, the police registered FIRs against 44 individuals, including Yogesh Raj, village head, and other locals. Of the 44 accused, five died over the years while a juvenile has already been released. The remaining 38 faced trial and were found guilty on Wednesday.
Ashok Dagar, the lawyer representing the accused, expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and confirmed plans to challenge the verdict in the high court.
Yogesh Raj, considered the prime accused in the case, was recently released on bail by the Supreme Court.
Back in 2018, in the aftermath of the violence, police also filed separate cases against 10 individuals for alleged cow slaughter, an effort seen by many as an attempt to calm public outrage.