Yogesh Raj
Yogesh Raj is a Hindu nationalist and District Convenor of Bajrang Dal from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. He is one of the accused in the brutal murder of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr in 2018.
On December 3, 2018, a mob of 400 people, including right-wing activists, violently rampaged through the Chingrawathi village, accusing Muslims of throwing cow carcasses in a jungle nearby. Singh, who was trying to control the wild mob, was hit by a stone when his driver bundled him into his SUV and tried to take him to the hospital. However, a violent Hindu mob led by Agarwal followed the car, cornered it in a field, and shot the police officer dead with a gun.
Singh was also the investigating officer in the Dadri lynching case in 2015. He regularly visited Dadri village to ensure peace and harmony among the communities even after the incident.
Raj was the primary complainant in the first FIR, lodged against unnamed suspects charged with cow slaughter. Singh, who was killed during the incident, tried to convince him, but Raj disagreed and was found involved in instigating the violence.
The police added Raj as a prime accused among the 28 other named accused and 60 more unnamed protesters in the first information report (FIR). The cases were lodged under over a dozen sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 395 (dacoity), 333 (causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), and 124A (sedition).
In August 2019, when Raj and other accused were released on bail, he was welcomed with cheers and the slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,’ and ‘Vande Mataram,’ according to India Today.
In May 2021, Raj contested from ward number 5 for the panchayat polls and emerged as the winner among six candidates.