Court rejects bail to minister’s son in communal violence case

court in Bhagalpur on Tuesday rejected the bail application of Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey’s son Arijit Shashwat Choubey, who is under judicial custody since Sunday in connection with communal clashes in Bihar.

Additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) Anjani Kumar Srivastava turned down Arijit’s petition, filed by his counsel Biresh Mishra on Monday. Mishra said his client would now apply for regular bail in the court of the district judge.

Arijit had “surrendered” in Patna on Sunday, barely a few hours after a Bhagalpur court rejected his petition for an anticipatory bail. He had filed the plea after an arrest warrant was issued against him a week earlier. Arijit was named in one of the two FIRs lodged in the aftermath of violence that broke out in Nathnagar, 7km from Bhagalpur, when people belonging to a minority community objected to the provocative music played during a procession on March 17.

The district administration had claimed the Ram Navami procession was taken out without obtaining due permission.

On Tuesday, while pleading for bail in the ACJM’s court, Mishra claimed there was no evidence to substantiate that Arijit was involved in arousing communal passion.

He contradicted the police which said people in the procession, led by Arijit, were carrying arms. He also claimed that the sections under which Arijit had been booked were not applicable.

Opposing the bail plea, sub-divisional prosecution officer Ashok Kumar Singh said communal violence at Nathnagar was triggered by songs played in the procession and slogans raised by the participants.

BHAGALPUR:A