Anti-CAA stir: Darapuri, Sadaf out on bail; Congress activist says assaulted during arrest

A Lucknow court on Saturday last granted bail to Jafar, Darapuri and 13 others arrested in connection with anti-CAA protests in Lucknow.
Police personnel stand guard beside a poster of protestors suspected to have incited vandalism during protests against CAA and NRC in Lucknow. (File | PTI)
Police personnel stand guard beside a poster of protestors suspected to have incited vandalism during protests against CAA and NRC in Lucknow. (File | PTI)

LUCKNOW: Retired IPS officer SR Darapuri, Congress worker Sadaf Jafar and several others were released on Tuesday morning from Lucknow jail, following the bail granted to them by the district court last week. The activists were arrested during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests which had turned violent witnessing heavy stone-pelting, arson and vandalism by the protestors in Lucknow on December 19. The stir in the state capital had claimed a life and had left 35 injured including 16 cops.

Lucknow Sessions Court granted bail to Darapuri and Sadaf Jafar on January 4. After getting released, SR Darapuri accused Lucknow police of treating the anti-CAA protestors brutally He claimed that even the women were beaten up in presence of Lucknow SSP.

Taking to Twitter, to launch an attack on state police system and the BJP, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: "Ambedkarite thinker and former IPS SR Darapuri and Congress leader Sadaf Jafar released from jail today. The UP Police could not produce evidence against them when asked by the court. By arresting innocent people and also those who are taking forward the principles laid down by Baba Saheb (Ambedkar), the BJP has shown its true face, however, lie can never win."

Additional Sessions Judge SS Pandey asked the two to furnish security of Rs 50,000 each and personal bonds of an equal amount. The court observed that the Uttar Pradesh Police failed to present any direct evidence against Jafar, Darapuri and others for their role in vandalism and arson during the protests.

However, both were allegedly arrested from the site of protests on December 19. Harjot Singh, Jafar's lawyer said that the court had granted bail on Saturday. He claimed that the police had registered a generic FIR implicating over 40 people in serious sections like 307 (attempted murder). But the police failed to fetch the relevant evidence.

The judge had reserved his orders on the bail applications of Jafar, Darapuri and the other accused on Friday, after hearing the individual pleas as well as the submissions of the government lawyer.

According to the government prosecutor Deepak Yadav, Hazratganj Police had arrested them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1932 and sent them to judicial custody.

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