The family of noted theatre artist Deepak Kabir - who was arrested on Friday when he had gone to a police station in Lucknow to inquire about the whereabouts of his friends a day after taking part in a Citizenship Amendment Act protest - has alleged that the police have not provided them a certified copy of a first information report or even the arrest memo in the case.
"We had joined the protests on Thursday, but we were totally peaceful. We left before the violence had broken out. Deepak was not arrested then or on that night; he had returned home. It is only the next day (the day he was arrested) that he stepped out to inquire about his friends, who had reportedly been detained by the police. When I visited Deepak in prison, he told me he was held only because he tried to make inquiries about the well-being of his friends (at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow)," Veena Rana, Deepak's wife, said.
"He didn't talk much but I could see he was in pain and there were visible marks on his face. He has been charged with serious offences like attempt to murder and rioting. We will fight this in court. My first priority is to get bail for him. The police have not even given us a certified copy of the FIR or the arrest memo in the case. Is this right?" she added.
Activist-politician Yogendra Yadav has tweeted in his support. "Deepak Kabir joined peaceful protest on 19th at Hazratganj, Lucknow. Next day, went to Police station to look for missing protesters. He was detained (name added to the list by hand), brutally beaten up, jailed on severe criminal charges. No media report. He needs your support," he said.
The Uttar Pradesh police have denied any irregularities in Deepak Kabir's arrest and said they have evidence of rioting against everyone they have arrested.
On Saturday, UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told the media no innocent person would be targeted.
15 people have died in Uttar Pradesh in massive protests against the Citizenship Act, the first-ever law to make religion a criteria for citizenship. The government says it will help non-Muslims from Muslim-dominated Pakistan, Bangladesh and Aghanistan become Indian citizens if they fled religious persecution in their country and entered India before 2015. Activists, students, opposition parties and other protesters say the law discriminates against Muslims and is against the secular tenets of the constitution.
Actor-politician Sadaf Jafar's family alleged on Monday that she was beaten with batons, kicked in belly after being arrestef. The UP Police denied assault and said they had "enough proof" against her.
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