2015 arson attack: Jyotishpeeth swami seeks anticipatory bail

Varanasi: The lawyers of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth, on Friday filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail in the court of special judge (MP/MLA) Siyaram Chaurasia, who had on September 29 declared the seer and others as absconders and issued non-bailable warrants against them for non-appearance in a case of attack on police, sabotage and arson during a protest march in Dashashwamedh police station area on October 5, 2015.
The court has also ordered attachment of their properties.
The lawyers of the seer filed a petition for anticipatory bail on behalf of the seer on Friday. “We have filed an application for anticipatory bail, and the court has fixed October 28 as the date for hearing,” said one of the lawyers, Ramesh Upadhyaya.
The other accused in the case include Satua Baba, Mahant Balak Das, Pankaj Singh alias Dabloo Rai, Arun Pathak, Ajay Choubey, Amarnath Yadav alias Dabbal, Asit Das and others. The court has ordered the police to take action under the non-bailable warrant and attachment and submit its report in the court.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand had taken out a march from town hall in Maidagin area to Dashashwamedh on October 5, 2015 in protest against the lathi charge on people who wanted to immerse the idol of Lord Ganesh in the Ganga. Around 4.30 pm, a chaotic situation prevailed after a bull standing at the Godowlia crossing became wild and started running on the road. The people also started running away.
Meanwhile, some anti-social elements set a police booth and a government jeep on fire. The flames also engulfed the tonga stand, where other vehicles including a jeep, fire brigade vehicle and police van, and about two dozen motorcycles were also set on fire. The police had to use force to disperse the rioters. A curfew was also imposed in Kotwali, Chowk, Dashashwamedh, Laksa and Chetganj police station areas. The curfew was lifted after two hours when the situation became normal.