RSS trained inmates of Jawahar Bagh: Ram Vriksh Yadav's security officer

Mathura: The 'security officer' of Ram Vriksh Yadav, the cult leader whose supporters had encroached upon Jawahar Bagh here leading to clashes with the police that left 29 people dead, has claimed that an RSS volunteer trained the squatters.

"Viresh Yadav, the security officer of Ram Vriksh Yadav, has claimed that one Rajvir Singh of Agra, who has links with the RSS, used to impart training to the inmates of Jawahar Bagh," SSP Babloo Kumar told a press conference here on Wednesday.

"We are trying to locate this person (Rajvir Singh) and his alleged RSS links are being investigated," he added.

Viresh, who was carrying a reward of Rs 15,000 on his head, was nabbed from Balaji Puram Colony under Sadar Bazaar police station last night along with his wife Lalita Devi and two children, the SSP said. Lalita is being questioned by the police.

Kumar said five police teams had been in hot pursuit of Viresh who fled from Jawahar Bagh after scaling the boundary wall on June 2.

Clashes between police and encroachers at Jawahar Bagh here left 29 people dead, including two police officers, on June 2. Ram Vriksh, who too was killed in the clashes, was the leader of the group that had been encroaching upon a 270-acre government plot for more than two years.

The SSP said some of the statements of Viresh corroborated those of Chandan Bose, the right hand man of Ram Vriksh arrested earlier.

Viresh has told the police that Ram Vriksh had set up 12 outposts at Jawahar Bagh which were manned by 200 volunteers who worked on six-hour shifts. After the police started carrying out reconnaissance of the area, the strength of these outposts was increased from 200 to 300 volunteers, said the SSP.

Besides, Ram Vriksh had appointed 'darogas' (inspectors) for patrolling and there were 19 squads each with a strength of 15-20 young boys who were "great fighters", he added.

Viresh has also told the police that Ram Vriksh would collect jewellery from women and cash from men in the name of Baba Jai Gurudev. The cash and jewellery were kept with a person known as 'Doctor' from Hardoi, said Kumar, adding that another Doctor Upen was in charge of medical requirements of the inmates at Jawahar Bagh.

Ram Vriksh's charred body was identified by his lawyer Tarani Kumar Gautam who demanded that it be handed over to his daughter who resided in Delhi. The Police though had refused to handover the body to the woman.

Viresh has told the police that the woman, identified as Gudiya, was not Ram Vriksh's biological daughter but was treated like daughter by him, said the SSP.