Raids in Ghaziabad to nab suspects in hate slogans case

Investigators said the arrest and interrogation of Pinki Choudhary is important in the case because he not only claimed responsibility for the incident on news channels, but was also among the key organisers of Sunday’s event that was held to demand repeal of colonial-era laws.

The Delhi police raided several places in Ghaziabad on Wednesday in search for two key suspects in the Jantar Mantar event on Sunday where anti-Muslim hate slogans were allegedly raised, even as senior investigators said the arrest of the two was crucial to solve the case.

Demonstrators interacts with police personnel during a protest against communal hatred at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The police are looking for Pinki Choudhary, a member of the Hindu Raksha Dal, and one Uttam Malik, who was seen in videos of the Sunday’s event at Jantar Mantar.

Investigators said the arrest and interrogation of Pinki Choudhary is important in the case because he not only claimed responsibility for the incident on news channels, but was also among the key organisers of Sunday’s event that was held to demand repeal of colonial-era laws.

“Our teams conducted raids at five different places in Ghaziabad to arrest Choudhary. The teams also visited people at his office, and home but he wasn’t there. His phone is also switched off. We want to interrogate Choudhary to ascertain if there was any conspiracy behind the communal sloganeering,” said a senior officer who is involved with the investigation, asking not to be named.

Hindu Raksha Dal is a fringe organisation. Choudhary also purportedly claimed responsibility for the violence on JNU campus in January last year. The outfit was also allegedly involved in an attack on Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) office in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad in 2014. Choudhary, along with 12 others, were arrested in that case.

Another officer associated with the investigation said Malik was seen raising communal slogans in the first video of the event that went viral on social media. The investigating team has found some more videos, the officer said. In one of them, Malik, a resident of Ghaziabad, can be heard identifying himself as a follower of Dasna Devi temple priest Swami Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati.

Saraswati was booked for his alleged derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad and Islam during a conference at Delhi Press Club in April. Narsinghanand has not been arrested in that case.

“Malik is the main suspect in our case because he is clearly seen and heard in the video raising the communal and inflammatory slogans. Some more people are seen around him repeating his slogans. We are trying to identify and nab them as well. Malik’s interrogation may help us ascertain why or on whose directions such sloganeering was done. Raids are on to nab him,” the officer said.

Even as the Delhi BJP has distanced itself from the controversy, BJP MP from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari has come out in support of Ashwini Upadhay, a former Delhi BJP spokesperson, who was among those arrested in connection with the event.

Tiwari tweeted, “The agenda of Ashwini Upadhyay’s programme wasn’t provocative, therefore, the question of provocative slogans being shouted does not arise. @AshwiniUpadhyay is a victim of a conspiracy by those who hate this issue. The law to identify those who raised the slogans…Ashwini should get justice immediately.”

BJP leader Kapil Mishra tweeted on Wednesday, “Ashwini Upadhyay ko Riha karo #Ashwini_Upadhyayko riha karo (release Ashwini Upadhyay).”

Besides Upadhyay, five others were arrested, and sent to custody by a local court. Upadhyay, a Supreme Court lawyer, got bail on Wednesday.

The FIR in connection of the communal sloganeering was registered late on Sunday night on the complaint of a head constable of the Connaught Place police station, who was present on the road near Jantar Mantar when the march was taken out. The FIR does not mention the communal sloganeering videos. The policeman has mentioned about an “unknown programme” where protesters gathered in a large number, and were carrying flags and posters.

The police have said that the organisers sought permission for the march, but they were denied in view of the Covid-19 curbs on social gatherings, and the high security in the wake of Independence Day preparations.