2018 Bulandshahr violence: 5 murder convicts get life term, 33 rioters jailed for 7 years

Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh): An Uttar Pradesh court on Friday sentenced five murder convicts to life imprisonment and 33 other rioters to seven years’ jail over the 2018 killing of a police inspector and a youth during violence that followed the alleged recovery of cow carcasses in Bulandshahr district.

Amid tight security, Additional District and Sessions Judge Gopal Ji handed down the punishment to 38 convicts – five guilty of murder and others of rioting and attempt to murder – in a packed courtroom.

Defence lawyer Ashok Dagar said: “Five accused were convicted under IPC Section 302 and sentenced to life imprisonment. The remaining accused were convicted under Sections 307, 436, 332, and 353 of IPC for rioting and related charges and given 7 years’ imprisonment.”

Those sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment were found guilty of attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant to deter them from duty and mischief by fire, the lawyer said.

The five convicts charged with murder by the prosecution during trial are — Rahul, David, Prashant Nat, Lokendra Singh and Johnny, all residents of Chingrawathi village under the Syana Police Station.

While convicting the 38 accused on July 30, the court had reduced the gravity of charges against two accused from murder to attempt to murder and rioting. The two include a local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj and former Rashtriya Rifles jawan Jeetendra Malik.

As many as 44 accused, including some serving in the district panchayat, were charged by the police after the incident. While five accused died during the trial, a minor was released earlier.

The case relates to the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and villager Sumit Kumar in Chingrawathi village on December 3, 2018 in rioting and arson that erupted following the alleged recovery of cow carcasses in neighbouring Mahaw village.

Angry protesters torched vehicles and set a police outpost on fire. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh died of bullet wounds while attempting to control the mob.

–IANS