Former State Minister and ex-Rashtriya lok Dal legislator Swami Omvesh was arrested in Bijnore in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots on Monday. Omvesh, who had joined the BJP recently, was arrested from his native village Fatehpur under Heempur Dhima police station area, confirmed IG RK Vishwakarma on Monday evening. He was held under Section 151 and 188 of the IPC for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr PC and giving inflammatory speech to trigger the violence.
Omvesh is the fourth politician to be arrested so far in connection with the riots. Sources said Omvesh will be produced before the court and later would be sent to jail. He is also likely to be shifted to other jail to prevent any politics over his arrest. BJP MlA Suresh Rana’s was the first to be arrested on Friday in lucknow. On the next day, BJP MlA Sangeet Singh Som surrendered in Meerut while BSP MlA Noor Salim Rana was arrested in Muzaffarnagar.
While Sangeet Singh Som has been shifted to Orai jail and Suresh Rana at Banda jail in Bundelkhand region, Noor Salim Rana has been lodged in Mirzapur jail. Noor Salim is to be shifted to Azamgarh district jail but the prison authorities failed to do so reportedly citing health problem of the MlA.
Meanwhile, a local court in Muzaffarnagar rejected the bail application of Sangeet Som, arrested for inflammatory speech and distribution of fake CDs in connection with Muzaffarnagar violence. Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) KP Singh rejected the bail plea of the BJP MlA while disposing off his bail application. The bail plea of another arrested BJP MlA Suresh Rana from Thana Bhawan will be heard on Tuesday by the court.
In another development, Suresh Rana, already held for inciting violence by making provocative speeches, has been booked in yet another case of rioting on Sunday. A case of rioting was registered against Rana and others in connection with an incident in Shamli on June 16 this year, sources confirmed and a warrant has been issued in the matter. On June 16, a girl was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped, following which hundreds of people including Suresh Rana staged a protest and damaged shops and vehicles, demanding the arrest of the accused.
In Muzaffanagar, Naresh Tikait and a khap leader already booked for making provocative speeches leaders to Muzaffarnagar riots, reportedly protested in Sisoli and lisad localities of Muzaffarnagar on Monday. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) activists protested the arrest warrant issued against their chief Naresh Tikait. A local court in Muzaffarnagar had issued an arrest warrant against Tikait on last Wednesday for violating prohibitory orders and provoking violence by giving inflammatory speeches.
