Lucknow/Saharanpur, June 19
So far, 387 people have been arrested across Uttar Pradesh in connection with violent protests against the Agneepath military recruitment scheme, while agitations are on in many parts of the state, police said on Sunday.
On Sunday, police arrested nine people in Saharanpur, Bhadohi and Deoria districts and detained several others for their involvement in the violent agitation, he said.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that till Sunday, the police have registered 34 FIRs in connection with the protests.
He said that out of 387 people apprehended so far, 145 have been arrested under Section 151 of CrPC as a precautionary measure.
“He can be kept in police custody for a maximum of 24 hours,” Kumar said.
The arrests have been made from 11 districts, including Ballia (109), Mathura (70), Jaunpur (41), Varanasi (36), Aligarh (35), Ghazipur (23), Chandauli (23).
According to the police, 34 cases have been registered in 14 districts, seven in Jaunpur, four each in Aligarh, Mathura, Chandauli and Varanasi and two each in Ballia and Mirzapur. One case each has also been registered in Gorakhpur, Deoria, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Chandauli, Agra, Ghazipur and Firozabad.
Of the nine people arrested on Sunday, four were from Bhadohi and at least eight from Deoria. Officials said that those arrested in Saharanpur are said to be members of various political parties.
Saharanpur Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said, “We have arrested five people in connection with the Agneepath protest. All are above 25 years of age and belong to various political parties. Being willing to the army, they were involved in instigating the youth against this plan.” The arrested people have been identified as Parag Pawar (26), Sandeep (34), Saurabh Kumar (28), Mohit Chaudhary (26) and Uday (26).
The SSP said Parag is a member of the National Students Union of India, while Sandeep, the student wing of the Congress, is associated with the Samajwadi Party.
All the accused are residents of villages of Rampur Maniharan police station area.
In Bhadohi, the police lathi-charged the protesters and arrested four youths to disperse the protesters.
“On Sunday, 30 to 40 youths gathered for a protest with the national flag on the Gyanpur-Gopiganj road. Before they could start their protest, the police dispersed them,” said Brijesh Kumar Singh, SHO of Gopiganj police station, adding that four people were arrested.
A large number of youths protested against the Agneepath scheme in Barhaj area of Deoria. Police said they also pelted stones and ransacked a gas filling station on Pena Road.
Police have started investigation into the matter and have detained eight to 10 people.
The salesman of the filling station also accused the protesters of looting cash. Police said that shopkeepers in the area closed their shops out of fear and those who had come to the market returned home.
“So far eight to 10 agitators have been detained. Police is interrogating them but no written complaint has been received from the filling station.