Anti-CAA stir: Notice to over 60 people for damaging properties

Over 60 people have been given notice for damaging public and private properties during the anti-CAA protest in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur and Gorakhpur. Police had initially said that the damage incurred was worth around Rs 15 lakh. Hence, offenders have been asked for the explanation of what they had committed.

Rampur/Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh): Over 60 people have been "identified for violence" during last week's anti-Citizenship Act protests in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur and Gorakhpur and issued notices, asking them to explain their position or pay for damage caused to public and private property, officials said on Wednesday.

The Rampur administration issued notices to 28 people on Tuesday after the damage of nearly Rs 25 lakh was assessed across the district by the police and the administration, they said.

Police had initially said that the damage incurred was worth around Rs 15 lakh but the final assessment put the figure at Rs 25 lakh, they added.

"Notices have been issued to 28 people who have been identified for violence during the protests. They have been given seven days' time to respond why action should not be taken against them, failing which, proceedings will be initiated to recover money from them for the destruction of public and private property," District Magistrate Rampur Aunjaneya Singh said.

A 22-year-old man died of a bullet injury in Rampur on Saturday during violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act. Several locals and policemen were injured, and six vehicles, including a police motorcycle, were torched, according to officials.

So far 33 people have been arrested and more than 150 identified in connection with the violence in Rampur, the police said.

Gorakhpur police too have sent notice to 33 people allegedly involved in violence during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest in Gorakhpur on Friday.

Police said FIRs against 1,000 unidentified persons have also been registered.

Police have posted the pictures of people involved in violence and announced that the informers will be awarded.

So far 26 people have been sent to jail and several others have been picked up on the basis of photos released by police.

Notices are being served to those offenders who have either fled homes or are untraceable, police officials said.

"The accused persons have been asked to reach police station through notice to clear their stand by Thursday. In case they failed to appear, their property may be attached," CO (Kotwali) VP Singh said.

On Wednesday, a team of district administration visited violence-hit areas - Reti, Nakhas and Ghantaghar - and assessed the loss which have been caused to public property during the violence.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on Wednesday to probe cases of rioting registered here during recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The SIT that will go into the causes of violence in Kanpur will be headed by Additional SP (Crime) Rajesh Yadav, IG (Kanpur range) Mohit Agarwal said.

The SIT was constituted following the directives of the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) for conducting a fair probe into the cases of violence.

As many as four cases - three with Beckonganj police station and another with Babupurwa police station - have been transferred to the SIT.

The SIT would be better equipped to deal with the electronic gadgets to track down the culprits, especially because social media and WhatsApp were used to bring the alleged rioters together, said an official.

The team would be given access to all data from areas under the jurisdiction of police stations where the clashes occurred, Senior SP Kanpur Anant Deo Tewari said.

Anti-CAA protestors on Saturday set Yatimkhana police post on fire and indulged in intense brick-batting.

Two persons had died in Friday's clashes here between the protesters and police and another succumbed to injuries at a hospital on Sunday.

Police had to lob tear-gas shells and use canes to disperse them and fire tenders were rushed to control the flame.

Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act had broken out in several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, leaving at least 17 people dead and moveable and immoveable assets damaged, mostly in arson.

In Lucknow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed those who damaged public property during protests in Uttar Pradesh against the amended citizenship law, saying they should introspect.

"They (the vandals) should ask themselves was it right. Whatever was torched, was it not of their child's use? What has happened to those common people and policemen who got injured?" Modi asked at a public meeting.

He said he wanted to tell those who damaged public property "not to forget that rights and duties go hand in hand".

BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct a thorough probe into the deaths during anti-citizenship law protests and help the innocent victims.

"The maximum number of deaths during CAA/NRC protests were in UP. The state government should conduct a probe into these deaths accurately and come forward to help the (families of) innocent ones," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.