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10 arrested for vandalism during Prayagraj protest; 3 FIRs lodged
Based on CCTV footage showing attacks on vehicles by an unruly mob, police arrested 10 identified accused on Monday and sent them to jail; one of the arrested individuals is a history-sheeter of Naini police station while another works at a hotel, says DCP
PRAYAGRAJ The Prayagraj police have arrested 10 suspects accused of vandalising vehicles during the student protests at Civil Lines on July 25 and registered three FIRs related to the incidents under sections 191 (2), 324 (4) and 109 (1) of the BNS. The latest complaint was lodged on Monday by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who alleged that his vehicle was attacked and he received death threat by unidentified miscreants.
“Based on CCTV footage showing attacks on vehicles by an unruly mob, police arrested 10 identified accused on Monday and sent them to jail. One of the arrested individuals is a history-sheeter of Naini police station while another works at a hotel,” said DCP (City) Manish Shandilya.
Some elements attempted to incite violence during the student protest, leading to incidents of vandalism, following which the police were identifying the accused through CCTV footage and videos collected from the area, he added.
According to the complaint on Monday, Ravindra Kumar Jaiswal, a resident of Nai Basti in Kydganj and BJP Trade Cell’s regional co-convenor for the Kashi region, was returning home from Ashok Nagar in his SUV on that day. He was accompanied by his driver and a friend, Shekhar Jaiswal.
As the vehicle approached Subhash Crossing amid the ongoing student protest, a group of protesters allegedly noticed the BJP flag on the car and intercepted it. Jaiswal alleged that the miscreants pelted the vehicle with bricks and stones, causing extensive damage.
In his complaint, Jaiswal further alleged that some of the attackers attempted to enter the vehicle forcibly and issued death threats to its occupants. However, the driver managed to drive away from the spot, preventing any injuries.
Civil Lines SHO Ramashray Yadav confirmed that a case had been registered on the basis of the complaint. He said police teams are examining CCTV footage and other video evidence to identify those involved.
Earlier, on Sunday, Civil Lines police registered two FIRs, including charges of attempt to murder, related to attacks on an SUV and another vehicle during the protest.
One complaint was filed by Rohit Dwivedi, son of former Banda MP Ramesh Chandra Dwivedi, who alleged that miscreants vandalised his vehicle and attempted to kill his driver.
In another complaint, Prashant Pathak, a BJP leader from Chakghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, alleged that his vehicle was attacked near Subhash Chowk. Pathak said the car, which displayed a BJP flag, was suddenly surrounded by miscreants. He alleged that the attackers threatened to kill him, smashed the vehicle’s windows, damaged the car and fled after stealing a laptop kept inside the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, referred to the detention of some individuals by police personnel in a vehicle allegedly lacking a registration number.
