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UP authorities to review cases of those arrested in anti-CAA violence
Four people who were mistakenly arrested in Muzaffarnagar following violence during anti-CAA protests were released on Tuesday after they spent 10 days in jail.
After admitting that four persons were mistakenly arrested in Muzaffarnagar, the state authorities on Wednesday decided to review the arrest of over 1,200 people, languishing in jails, for their alleged involvement in violence that erupted in about 15 districts during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Uttar Pradesh.
Many among those arrested were also served notices for recovery of cost of property damaged during the violence.
In Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday, a government clerk Mohd Farrukh and three others -- Atiq Ahmad, Shoaib and Mohd Khalid -- were released after they spent over 10 days in jail as they were found innocent.
Additional superintendent of police (City), Muzaffarnagar, Satpal Antil confirmed that four men were released on the basis of police report, under Section 169 of Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr PC), which found that they were not involved in violence.
Inspector general (IG) of police, law and order, Praveen Kumar said that the earlier order to constitute a Special Investigation Teams (SIT) at district levels, under supervision of additional SPs, was meant to ensure that people are arrested only after verifying evidences regarding their involvement in the violence. He said the SITs will consider the cases of people if they or their family members present evidences to prove their innocence.
Kumar said director general of police (DGP) OP Singh had sent a detailed order, dated December 23, 20-19, to constitute SITs for investigation in all the 327 FIRs registered in connection with widespread violence in about 15 districts. He said the SITs were constituted so that no innocent person got arrested or was kept languishing in jail if wrongly arrested. Besides, police officers have been asked to conduct investigation on merit basis and arrest people only after collecting proper evidence against them, he added.
Additional district magistrate (ADM), trans-Gomti, Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, who is heading a committee to analyse property loss during the violence, too, confirmed that one woman had turned up before him to prove innocence of her son. He said the woman’s son is in jail and she approached him after she received notice for recovery of costs for public property damaged during the violence.
Mishra further added that more people may turn up to prove their innocence in the coming days. He said the district administration will consider dropping charges as well cancelling notices sent to them if their involvement was not found in the violence.
The woman, requesting anonymity, said her 20-year-old son, a B. Com final student, was in jail after being arrested for violence in Lucknow’s Khadra locality on December 19. “I have the evidences that my son was not a part of the protest but no one listened to us,” she said and added, “I am struggling to get him out on bail.”
Meanwhile, Rampur district administration has given the show-cause notices to 28 people for recovery of damages worth ₹ 25 lakh. District magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said, “Notices may be dropped against two persons as they have proven that they were not involved in vandalism. We have identified the real culprits.”
