Image Courtesy:news18.com
On December 3, 2018, Police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh (44) was killed in mob violence, that erupted near the Chingrawathi police post allegedly after cattle carcasses were found strewn near Mahaw village where lakhs of people had gathered for a ‘Tabligi Ijtema’ .
An FIR against 27 named people and 50 to 60 unidentified people was registered at the Siyana Police Station.
Two years after that incident, Shikar Agarwal, the key accused in the Bulandshahr violence and murder of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh,has been awarded with a plum project. He will now be in charge of running and publicising the PM Welfare Scheme campaign in Bulandshahr, say news reports. Aggarwal, who is out on bail, was recently felicitated and appointed for the key campaign by BJP district president. According to a report in. NEWS18.COM a letter announcing appointment of Agarwal as Bulandshahr District Mahamantri along with pictures of are now viral on social media. “The letter allegedly written by Priyatam Kumar (Prem), District Chief Bulandshahr, are dated July 14 and say as per the directives of Western Uttar Pradesh Chief Yatendra Kumar Jain, Agarwal has been appointed as the Mahamantri for the campaign,” stated the news report.
It had in fact taken the police more than a month to nab Agarwal in 2019, even though the latter had been uploading his videos on social media claiming innocence in addition to giving interviews on TV channels. In those vidoes Agarwal had blamed officer Subodh Kumar Singh for the violence. After he, and some other accused, got bail, they got a massive welcome reception.
Sabrangindia’s exclusive investigation had revealed how ‘social media’ had been used to plot the killing. Videos of the accused being released emerged on Facebook and social media which showed the crowd chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while welcoming Shikhar Agarwal and other accused with garlands and flowers. People were seen hugging the accused as they left the jail premises. Agarwal, who headed the BJP’s local Yuva Morcha and posted the ‘welcome video’ online when he along with Yogesh Raj, another accused, while in hiding, were received by jubilant supporters outside the prison.
The accused, Rajiv, Rohit, Raghav, Shikhar Agarwal, Jitendra Malik, Rajkumar and Sourav allegedly attempted murder, rioted and committed arson during the protests against cow slaughter on December 3, 2018. Events that had led to the death of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh.
After the accused were granted bail, Subodh Kumar’s wife Rajni Singh had said that the government should kill her if they can’t imprison the criminals.
“Bail was not possible in this case. I am very upset with the justice system. What is happening is very wrong. I want to appeal to the government, kill me if you cannot punish the criminals then get me killed! Then there will be nobody to question the government and the government will not have to answer to anybody!” Ms Singh had then told the media.
The gruesome killing of Subodh Kumar Singh had elicited a sharp response across India. Former civil servants had even demanded the resignation of UP CM Adityanath.
“The mob violence in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh (U.P), on December 3, 2018, instigated and engineered with malicious intent,which led to the cold blooded murder of a police officer brave enough to step forward single-handedly to pacify the mob, marks the most dangerous turn yet in the direction taken by the politics of hate in recent times. It shows that in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, fundamental principles of governance, of constitutional ethics and of humane social conduct stand perverted. The Chief Minister of the state acts as a high priest of the agenda of bigotry and majoritarian supremacy – an agenda which now seems to take precedence over everything else,” it had been stated.
Related:
Kill me if Govt can’t imprison Criminals: Widow of Bulandshahr Cop, Subodh Kumar
Bulandshahr Violence: This is how cow vigilantes hatched the plot to kill a policemanRewarded with Bail, Seven Accused of Bulandshahr violence get Hero’s welcome