RAIPUR: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to Congress MLA from Bhilai Devendra Yadav, sent to jail in connection with arson and violence at Baloda Bazar collectorate premises on June 10 last year.
Yadav was arrested by Chhattisgarh police on August 17, 2024, from his residence in Bhilai. He was accused of provoking the protestors and allegedly incited them leading to vandalism. He is expected to be released from the Raipur Central Jail by Friday evening.
Following the decision of the Apex Court, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Bhagel took to X-handle alleging that the Congress leader Yadav was jailed in a "government conspiracy" case. Baghel claimed it would be proved soon that the government had "wrongly kept Yadav in jail for months”.
“Due to incompetent government, the incident of arson at the offices of collector and superintendent of police in Baloda Bazar happened. Vishnu Deo Sai government and the home minister are responsible for it”, Baghel stated.
However, BJP countered that Yadav has only got a bail but he has not been exonerated from the case. “The Congress leader got bail only on technical grounds. The Satnami community and the people of the state will not forgive those accused involved in the conspiracy behind the violence in Baloda Bazar collectorate. Actually the entire Congress is on bail”, said Anurag Agrawal, BJP spokesperson.
Thousands of Satnami caste protestors agitated over desecration of their place of worship 'Jaitkhamb' near Girodhpuri turned violent, leading to setting the collectorate building and hundreds of vehicles in the premises on fire besides causing extensive damage to public property on June 10. As many as 186 accused involved in Baloda Bazar violence were then arrested. Later some got bail.
Yadav, a two-time Congress MLA, also contested Lok Sabha polls last year from the Bilaspur seat.