Police arrests 10 Bhim army activists in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad police on Saturday arrested ten Bhim army activists for "trying to snatch" the body of a 26-year-old Dalit youth to hold further demonstrations. The government had already ceded to the demands of the family of the deceased after their protest, Ghaziabad SP (Rural) Iraj Raja said.

The deceased young man, Rahul, was attacked by three miscreants two and a half months ago with lathis and iron rods. He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday. He was initially under treatment at a hospital and was then shifted to his home at Sangam Vihar under the Loni Border police station area, Raja said. The three accused- Ankit, Poojan and Monu- have been arrested. They have been booked under charges including the attempt to murder and others under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and are in judicial custody. The police will also add section 302 of the IPC for murder in the FIR now, Raja claims.

Following Rahul's death, his family members protested outside the Indira Puri police outpost with the body. They demanded Rs 30 lakhs as compensation, a government job for his wife and free education for his children, Raja said. The area revenue officer visited the protest site and met the family members. He further promised statutory compensation besides a recommendation to the government for payment of compensation to them.

Satisfied with the government's promise, Rahul's family members began preparation to take the body to the cremation ground when some Bhim Army activists reached the site and tried to snatch the body from them to prolong the sit-in and "do politics" over it, said Raja.

The ten activists have been booked under various penal offences, including sections 332 (assault), 353 (use of criminal force against public servant), 504 (breach of peace), 506 (intimidation), 147 (rioting), 148 (armed rioting), 188 (disobedience to duly promulgated government's order), 269 (doing activities with the potential to spread an infectious disease) and 297 (hurting religious feelings) of the IPC. The ten are Bhupendra, Aashiq, Kapil, Sushant, Ankit, Amit, Rahul, Pawan, Sunil and Azad. They have been produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody to Dasna jail.