A day after violent clashes broke out in Mathura, killing 24 people, police are on the look-out for Ram Vriksha Yadav, the alleged mastermind behind the conflict.
Trouble started on Thursday when police tried to evict close to 3,000 people from Jawahar Bagh park, two years after they had occupied the park in a prolonged sit-in, led by Yadav.
Police claimed they were fired upon, unprovoked, by the squatters and said they later found a cache of arms and spent bullets from AK-47 rifles.
According to sources, Yadav and the security officer of the group, Chandan Gaur, fled with thousands of supporters amid the chaos.
Read:Death toll in Mathura clash rises to 21, two police officers among dead
Belonging to Raipur Baghpur village in Ghazipur, Yadav was associated with the Doordarshi party floated by spiritual leader Baba Jai Gurudev in 1980 in Ahmedabad.
He contested the general election as the Doordarshi party’s candidate from the Ghazipur parliamentary constituency around two decades ago. He also contested assembly elections on the same ticket.
However, Baba Jai Gurudev severed ties with him a few years before his death in 2012.
{{/usCountry}}However, Baba Jai Gurudev severed ties with him a few years before his death in 2012.
{{/usCountry}}“Baba received complaints against him and six others sometime in the mid 1990’s. He was told not to put on sack clothes and all ties with him were severed. Since then, Yadav started wearing a white kurta and dhoti,” said a local, who did not wish to be identified.
Allegedly a reserved person with a short-temper, Yadav left the village two years ago.
His house in Matia Mohalla is in a dilapidated state. Locals said Yadav moved to Mathura with his wife and a married son when he left.
“Yadav is a farmer. He usually remains reticent. He talks less. He left the village two years ago and was living in Mathura since then. I have no idea what he was doing in Mathura. He has two sons and two daughters,” said Shivnarayan, the village head.
His impression of Yadav was that he did not like anyone interfering in any decisions he took.
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