LUCKNOW: In a major development in the 2018 Bulandshahr violence case that shook the nation, a local court has convicted 38 people, including a BJP-backed district panchayat member, nearly seven years after the brutal incident that saw a police inspector killed and a police outpost set on fire.
The quantum of punishment will be announced on August 1.
Among the convicts are Prashant Nat, David, Joni, Rahul, and Lokendra, who have been found guilty of murdering Inspector Subodh Kumar. All of them are residents of Chingrawathi village under Syana police station area, where the deceased inspector was posted. The remaining 33 accused have been convicted of rioting, violence, and attempt to murder.
The violence had erupted in Mahav village under Syana Kotwali on December 3, 2018, following the discovery of cow remains. Hindu outfits and local villagers staged massive protests, allegedly at the instigation of Yogesh Raj, a key figure linked to a Hindu group. He allegedly mobilised a mob that reached the Chingrawathi police outpost with cattle remains in a tractor-trolley, blocking the highway.
As tensions escalated, the mob pelted stones and set the police outpost on fire. In the ensuing chaos, Syana station officer Subodh Kumar was killed. A local youth, Sumit, also lost his life. A case of cow slaughter was hastily registered against 10 individuals, and the situation was eventually brought under control.
Initially, police booked 60 people—27 named and 33 unnamed—for the violence. Later, charges were framed against 44 after investigations, while the rest were dropped due to lack of evidence. Of those, five accused died during the trial and one was a minor. The remaining 38 were convicted on July 29. Among them, 34 are out on bail while four remain in custody.
Meanwhile, main accused Yogesh Raj, now a District Panchayat member and allegedly linked to a Hindu organisation, was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court. Despite his arrest, the licensed service pistol of the slain officer remains missing.