New Delhi (PTI): The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Wednesday disassociated itself from cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi arrested in connection with the communal clashes in Haryana's Nuh district.

"Raj Kumar alias Bittu Bajrangi, who is said to be a Bajrang Dal worker, has never had any relation with Bajrang Dal. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also does not consider the content of the video allegedly released by him to be appropriate," the right-wing outfit said in a statement.

Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the VHP.

Bajrangi was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh on July 31, police said.

He was questioned in connection with a fresh FIR registered against him and 15-20 others at Nuh's Sadar Police Station based on a complaint filed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Usha Kundu.

Police said Bajrangi, the president of an outfit called the Goraksha Bajrang Force, was initially detained by a Crime Investigation Agency team of Tauru from Faridabad and taken for questioning.

A spokesperson of Nuh Police later said he had been arrested and would be produced in a city court on Wednesday.

The FIR against Bajrangi and the others has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 148 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 332 (causing hurt), 353, 186 (obstructing a public servant from discharging duty), 395, 397 (armed robbery), and 506 (criminal intimidation) and provisions of the Arms Act, police said.

A senior police officer said Bajrangi and his associates wielded illegal weapons during the VHP procession that came under attack in Muslim-majority Nuh on July 31.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that also spread to nearby regions.

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has selected Senior Journalist D. Umapathy for the Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty social justice journalism award. The award, started this year by the Department of Information and Public Relations, was announced by Department Commissioner Hemanth M. Nimbalkar.

Nimbalkar highlighted that the award aims to recognize and honor journalistic contributions focused on social justice. It was announced in the 2024 state budget by the Chief Minister Siddarmaiah in memory of senior journalist Vaddarse Raghuramshetty.

The selection committee, chaired by Justice Ashok Hinchigeri, unanimously chose D. Umapathy for the prestigious award. The honor includes a cash prize of ₹2 lakh and a memento.

D. Umapathy was Born in Chitradurga district on March 18, 1959, and holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Journalism from Maharaja's College, Mysuru, and a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Mysore, where he secured second rank.

With a career spanning 27 years, Umapathy gained prominence for his work as the Delhi correspondent for Kannada Newspaper ‘Kannada Prabha’ a publication under the New Indian Express group.

He covered a range of topics, including parliamentary proceedings, election analyses, Supreme Court river water tribunal cases, national political developments, and foreign affairs. He also has extensive experience in diplomatic reporting, often accompanying ministers on international visits.

Additionally, Umapathy, who is based in Delhi, has contributed as a columnist for several prominent Kannada newspapers, including Andolana, Raitha Chalavali, Vijaya Karnataka, Prajavani, Samyukta Karnataka, and Vartha Bharati.

Currently, he serves as a guest editor for the web journals ‘Nyayapatha’ (Gauri Media) and ‘Eedina.’

He is also an accomplished author, with two notable works, Delhi Nota and Padakusiye Nelavilla.

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