NBWs against 12 protesters who ‘attacked’ UP cops

While sources in the government said officials in all the districts are put on alert with a direction to ensure that people do not gather for such protests and also to initiate stern action those found organising such agitations, a protest by women started at Deoband in Saharanpur district Monday night. SHOs of all the police stations in districts have been directed to stay alert and do not allow gathering for protest in their areas, sources added.

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Apart from Varanasi, police dispersed a crowd of protesters, including women, in Etawah and Rae Bareli using force minutes after they gathered to stage protest against CAA-NRC and also lodged FIRs into both incidents. The police have, so far, have registered 10 cases against CAA-NRC protesters which include six in Lucknow against the women sitting at Ghanta Ghar and Gomti Nagar while one each case is lodged at Prayagraj, Varanasi, Etawah and Rae Bareli.

Police force has been deployed round-the-clock at both the protest sites in Lucknow.

The Varanasi police, in connection with January 23 incident, had registered an FIR against 32 named and 600 unidentified persons under relevant sections of IPC which include 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) at the Chowk police station. Six persons were arrested from the spot and they were sent to jail. Within an hour, police used force to disperse the crowd.

On the same day, police released photographs of 19 persons, who were found to be present at the site, and sought information about their whereabouts, offering a reward of Rs 5,000.

“On the basis of evidence, which includes WhatsApp messages shared by people asking to reach the protest venue, we identified 12 persons involved in the violence. We also scrutiny photographs and videos of the protest. Among the 12 persons, a few are those whose photographs were released earlier by the police. We have obtained NBW against 12 persons and raids are on to trace them,” said Circle Officer, Dashashwamedh Ghat (Varanasi), Preeti Tripathi.

She added that the 12 persons include local resident Srishti Kashyap, who was “found to be one of the organisers of the protest”.

In Etawah, police had dispersed the demonstrators on Thursday. Protestors, including women, had gathered at the Pachraha Road near Red Cross society office and raised slogans. Police had used force to disperse the crowd.

An FIR has been lodged against 12 named and around 800 unidentified persons under IPC section 188 at the Kotwali police station in Etawah. No one has been arrested so far.

Circle Officer, City (Etawah), SN Vaibhav Pandey, said, “Initially, they tried to convince protesters through counselling. When more people started gathering at the spot and tried to create nuisance, we used force to disperse the crowd,” said Pandey.

On the other hand, the Rae Bareli police had booked 300 unidentified persons for allegedly blocking road during protest against the new citizenship law at Town Hall locality under City Kotwali police station on Friday.

Police said several women in groups reached town hall from different areas and staged protest raising slogans that CAA should be taken back.