Ten arrested for anti-CAA slogans at Mohanlalganj railway station in Lucknow

LUCKNOW Ten protesters were arrested and around 50-60 unidentified people booked for unlawful assembly on Wednesday as they allegedly shouted slogans against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Mohanlalganj railway station on the outskirts of Lucknow, the police said.

“It was not at all a peaceful protest and they could not be allowed to create a nuisance like this as Section 144 of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) is already in place in the city,” deputy commissioner of police (South) Pooja Yadav said.

She said 10 people named in the FIR were arrested while others were being identified by scanning CCTV footage of the railway station.

Yadav said the protesters were booked under Sections 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobeying government order), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (intimidation).

This is the seventh FIR against anti-CAA protesters in Lucknow this month ever since peaceful protests began in the state capital. These January FIRs do not include those lodged after violence rocked the state capital on December 19 last year.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow police are now focusing on arresting the people already named in the FIRs filed against those staging sit-ins at Clock Tower in the old city and Ujariaon in Gomti Nagar.

Police on Tuesday arrested Laiq Hasan, a former Jamia Millia Islamia student, who was named in an FIR on January 24 for violation of Section 144 and using force to deter the police from performing their duty.

Nine others, including Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq’s son Kalbe Sibtain, who is still at large, were booked in the same FIR.

Additional DCP (West) Vikas Chandra Tripathi said, “Soon, non-bailable warrants will be issued against those evading arrest.”

He added, “Kalbe Sibtain and other people named in the FIR, except Hasan, are still at large and efforts are on to arrest them.”

FIRs against anti-CAA protesters in Lucknow in January

January 19: Three FIRs against 24 identified and 220 unidentified people at Thakurganj police station in connection with the Clock Tower protest.

January 22: An FIR against 100-110 people at Gomtinagar police station in connection with the Ujariaon protest.

January 24: An FIR against 10 identified and over 100 unidentified people at the Thakurganj police station in connection with the Clock Tower protest.

January 26: An FIR against two people at Gomtinagar in connection with the Ujariaon protest.

January 29: An FIR against 10 identified and 50-60 unidentified people at Mohanlalganj.