A Bihar court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of Union Minister Ashwini Choubey‘s son Arijit Shashwat, accused of inciting communal violence in the state’s Bhagalpur district, a government lawyer said.

After hearing both sides, the Bhagalpur district court declined to grant bail to Shashwat.

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Last week, a case was lodged against Shashwat — a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader — on charges of taking out a procession without prior permission, inciting communal sentiments and roaming with arms on the streets of Bhagalpur.

Shashwat, who has been evading arrest, had moved the bail plea in the civil court, following which the court on Tuesday sought the case diary from the police to ascertain his role in the communal flare-up on March 17.

After that, acting on an application from the district police, the court issued an arrest warrant against Shashwat.

Choubey has already described FIR as “a piece of garbage” that was registered by “corrupt police officers in Bhagalpur”.

Shashwat unsuccessfully contested the last assembly polls as the BJP candidate from Bhagalpur, considered a stronghold of Choubey, who was elected MP from Buxar in 2014.

The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly failing to prevent communal disharmony.

Earlier, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has demanded the arrest of Union Minister Ashwani Choubey’s son Arijit Shashwat for allegedly inciting communal passions in Bhagalpur.

Also read | BJP has set Bihar ablaze, Nitish Kumar is finished: Lalu Yadav

On 28 March, in Nalanda district two communities clashed over taking out a religious procession. 20 people and four security personnel were injured in the clashes.

Two BJP leaders were arrested on Thursday in Samastipur district on the charge of disturbing communal harmony that resulted in clashes during the Ram Navami procession, police said.

Dinesh Jha and Mohan Patwa were arrested on the basis of a video footage of the incident in Rosera town of Samastipur.

Communal tension again gripped Rosera town in Samastipur three days after communal clashes on 26 March. More than 60 persons, including policemen, were injured and dozens of shops and vehicles were torched in Rosera during the clashes.

(With agency inputs)