Phagwara clash: HC dismisses bail plea of 2 right-wing Hindu leaders

Clash was reported over renaming of Phagwara’s Gol Chowk to Samvidhan Chowk in April 2018

The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed bail pleas of two accused in the April 2018 clash between Dalits and members of the right-wing Hindu organisations in Phagwara.

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The clashes were reported over renaming of Phagwara’s Gol Chowk to Samvidhan Chowk. A Dalit youth, Yashwant Bobby, received a bullet injury in the clash and he died on April 29.

The high court bench of justice Arvind Sangwan denied bail to Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) senior state vice-president Inderjit Karwal and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Rajiv Chahal, who had approached court for bail on January 24, 2019.

A case under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 295A (hurting religious sentiments), 392 (robbery), 353 (assault), 186, 427, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various sections of the Arms Act, National Highways Act along with Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against Hindu leaders following the clash.

They had argued delay in trial and Karwal had claimed that no member of the Ambedkar Sena was arrested despite the fact that it was a free fight between both the sides. Chahal had alleged that police was not acting in impartial manner.

The state had told court that Karwal was involved in five FIRs and the trial was delayed as the accused moved multiple exemption pleas. There are FIRs against Chahl too.

Taking note of allegations against them and the fact that bail of another accused Deepak Bhardwaj, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti state president has also been dismissed in March 2019, the denied relief to both accused.