Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’, the 30-year-old lawyer who heads the Dalit-rights outfit Bhim Army, was arrested from Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, sources in UP Police said.
According to police, a total of 25 FIRs were registered in connection with the May 9 Saharanpur caste-based clashes and Chandrashekhar was named as one of the main accused.
Ravi Kumar Gautam, leader of the Bhim Army’s youth wing, confirmed the arrest. He said, “Chandrashekhar was in Himachal Pradesh where he was arrested by a team of UP Police. They came to Himachal Pradesh in civil dress and took him away.”
Uttar Pradesh Police had announced a reward of Rs 12,000 for information on Chandrashekhar, and two others, Manjeet and Kamal. Chandrashekhar incited violence in Saharanpur and evaded arrest. In May, a violent mob had torched down a bus, 10 motorcycles and a car in the village. The incident had left four people injured. One person was dead and several others had been injured after a clash between Dalits and Thakurs at Shabbirpur village on May 5.
On Wednesday, two persons were also arrested in connection with the violence in Ramnagar on May 9. “Bhim Army’s Deoband Vidhan Sabha president Deepak Kumar and Saharanpur district president Praveen Gautam have been arrested from near Sun City Colony at Malhipur Road,” Saharanpur city Circle Officer Mukesh Chandra Mishra said.
According to police sources, the arrest was made by the Special Investigative Team (SIT) of Saharanpur police set up by SSP Babloo Kumar and DIG KS Emmanuel.
Chandrashekhar, who had been on the run for a month, had been hopping from one state to the next before finally being arrested in Himachal Pradesh. A source said, he had spent the last month in Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
