NUH: Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi, arrested in connection with communal clashes in Nuh earlier in the month, was sent to 14-day judicial custody on Thursday, police said.
Bajrangi was produced in a Nuh court on Thursday from where he was sent to judicial custody in Neemka jail of Faridabad district, a senior police officer said.
Bittu Bajrangi alias Raj Kumar was arrested on Tuesday from Faridabad after a fresh FIR was registered against him at Nuh's Sadar Police Station on a complaint of Assistant Superintendent of Police Usha Kundu.
A Nuh Police spokesperson said that eight swords were found in Bajrangi's possession.
In its submission to the court, Nuh Police request it to not send Bittu Bajrangi to the Nuh district jail, apprehending fear that Muslim inmates there may cause harm to him.
"Most of the accused lodged in Nuh Jail belong to the Muslim community. If Bittu is sent to Nuh Jail then his life is in danger. The Muslim inmates are enraged against Bittu. In such a situation, the accused should be sent to Bhondsi Jail in Gurugram to prevent any untoward incident. Also, proper instructions should be given to the jail superintendent," read the remand request paper submitted by police.
After hearing the submission, the court sent Bajrangi to Neemka jail in Faridabad.
A senior police officer said that police are now conducting raids to nab Bajrangi's associates.
According to the FIR, Bajrangi, who was identified through social media posts, along with some of his unidentified supporters, had allegedly misbehaved with and threatened an ASP Kundu-led police team which had stopped them while they were carrying swords and 'trishuls' to Nalhar temple.
In her complaint, ASP Usha Kundu said, "I was on duty with my team 300 metres away from the Nalhar temple. We saw a mob of around 20 people carrying swords and trishuls marching to Nalhar temple. To maintain law and order my team snatched and seized their weapons."
Kundu said when the mob was challenged to stop, it started raising slogans against the police, manhandled them, and even snatched back their weapons from police vehicles.
"We kept their weapons in our vehicles but they went ahead and squatted in front of vehicles. Soon after they opened the rear gates of our official vehicle and fled with weapons. Bittu and others who had misbehaved with us and threatened to kill us were identified in the footage," ASP Kundu said in her complaint.
Bajrangi had earlier been arrested by Faridabad Police two days after the violence in connection with another case related to the communal clashes but was released on bail after he joined the investigation.
He was accused of making inflammatory speeches and brandishing weapons in public.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad had on Wednesday issued a statement to clarify that Raj Kumar alias Bittu Bajrangi "never had any relation" with its youth wing Bajrang Dal, or other VHP-linked organisations.