Bulandshahr, May 21: Yogesh Raj, Bajrang Dal leader and also the main accused in 2018 Bulandshahr violence, has been booked for allegedly beating villagers who did not vote for him during the recently-concluded Panchayat polls. Yogesh Raj, who is out on bail, has won the Zila panchayat member election. In a video that has also gone viral, Yogesh is reportedly seen attacking a villager and his family for 'not voting for him'. The incident occurred in Nayabaans village.

According to police sources, Yogesh and his associates barged into the home of one Dinesh Kumar and began thrashing family members leaving them injured. Yogesh, along with six associates, has been booked for culpable homicide, house trespass, rioting and voluntarily causing hurt. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 14-Year-Old Girl Gangraped in Sonbhadra District; Three Accused Arrested.

The victim, Dinesh Kumar, said, "Ever since the elections have concluded, Yogesh Raj has been nurturing enmity with us for not supporting him in the polls. With an intention to take revenge, he along with his associates, came with lathis and sharp-edged weapons on Wednesday late evening and began thrashing everyone on sight. They did not spare even the women of the house. One of my relatives, Digambar Singh, received blows on the head and is serious."

It may be recalled that violence in Siyana in Bulandshahr erupted on December 3, 2018, over an alleged incident of cow slaughter. Villagers loaded cattle carcasses in a tractor trolley and placed them in front Chingrawati police post which resulted in a heated argument between the police and the agitated youths. Soon, violence erupted and the mob outnumbered policemen.  Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi Writes to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Seeks Relief for Middle Class from COVID-19 Impact.

Later, the Station House Officer of Siyana police station, Subodh Singh, and a youth, Sumit Singh, were killed. In its charge-sheet, the police said that Yogesh and other key conspirators in the case were in constant contact and exchanged several calls within a span of few hours leading to the violence. The charge sheet had placed Yogesh and other co-conspirators at the scene of the crime through technical and forensic evidence. Yogesh was recently granted bail by Allahabad high court and he contested and won the panchayat elections.