16 killed, 263 cops injured in Anti-CAA protests in UP

A police post was torched in Kanpur on Saturday amid fresh incidents of protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Uttar Pradesh’s several districts including in Rampur and Aligarh as the toll in the violence in the last two days rose to 16.

The latest death was reported from Rampur on Saturday evening, where one person died and several people, including policemen injured as clashes broke out between anti-CAA protesters and police.

Five two-wheelers, including one of a mediaperson and one of the police, and a car were set afire during the violence and five protesters were injured in police lathicharge, officials said.

“Of the five injured, four were referred to Meerut for treatment where one died, while another is in a serious condition. Around a dozen protestors have been detained,” District Magistrate (DM) Aunjaneya Singh told PTI.

Around 400 to 500 people gathered near the city Eidgah to protest against the amended Citizenship Act amid a bandh call, he said.

As many as 705 persons were arrested for committing substantive offences and 4,500 were detained across the state, IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar said in Lucknow on Saturday.

The number of policemen injured were 263 of whom 57 received firearm injuries, he said.

Maintaining that the police did not open fire, Director General of Police O P Singh said, “Women and children were used as shields by the protestors.”

“All the deaths that took place have been in cross firing and this will become clear in postmortem examination,” the DGP told reporters.

“We are clear and transparent in this. If anyone died due to our fire we will conduct a judicial inquiry and take action. But nothing happened from our side,” the DGP stressed.

IG Kumar said 102 persons have been also arrested for making objectionable remarks and posting objectionable content on various social media platforms.

“So far action has been taken against 14,101 social media posts. This includes 5,965 Twitter posts; 7,995 Facebook (accounts) and 141 Youtube.”

In Kanpur, anti-CAA protestors on Saturday set Yatimkhana police post on fire and indulged in heavy brickbatting, leading to injury to some people.

Police had to lob tear gas shells and use canes to chase them away, and fire tenders were rushed to control the flame.