One of the prime accused in the Bijnor violence, Aishwarya Chaudhary, a local BJP leader, surrendered to police and was sent on judicial remand on Sunday.
Chaudhary, who is an advocate, was accused of provoking and instigating Sansar Singh and his supporters, which led to the clashes and killing of three members of a Muslim family in Peda village of Bijnor on 16 September.
Chaudhary, the Bijnor district president of the Adhivakta Sangh, an RSS-affiliated lawyers' body, was also accused of being present at the site of violence. He was on the run for last fifteen days. He is also the district president of the advocates' union. His association with BJP is evident from the billboards hung in Bijnor.
According to the ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Chaudhary, Aishwarya was leading the mob. Police claimed to have photographic evidence pointing to Aishwarya's active participation in the communal violence which put western UP on the boil, potentially risking another Muzaffarnagar like riots.
The police said that the 17 accused who were arrested so far have mentioned Aishwarya's involvement during their interrogation. Aishwarya is aspiring for a ticket from Bijnor Assembly seat in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. Going by his Facebook page, he is an active BJP leader in Bijnor. He has put up pictures of himself participating in the BJP's protest outside the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow in August.
District police officials told The Hindu that Aishwarya’s gunman Sonu who allegedly was part of the mob, was also on the run.
Aishwarya's supporters organised a 'mahapanchayat' in a banquet hall inviting the Jat community. But, the police didn't allow the mahapanchayat to be held and imposed section 144 in Bijnor.
