Hours after he was arrested from Himachal Pradesh and brought to Saharanpur late on Thursday night, Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan was presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Deenanath in Saharanpur and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.
The arrest of Mr. Chandrashekhar follows violent incidents in the district last month set off by the torching of Dalit homes by upper caste Thakurs and the death of a member of the Thakur community during clashes on May 5 in Shabbirpur village.
The Bhim Army and other Dalit groups were refused permission to organise a rally against atrocities on May 9 sparking off violence and vandalism, with several vehicles and buses burnt. The police charged Mr. Chandrashekhar with instigating violence on May 9 under sections 147, 148, 307, 332, 335, 353, 427, 497 of the IPC.
