Eight members of a charitable organisation, Khidmat-e-Khalq, were arrested by cops in Meerut's Kithore area on 17 December 2019, just when they had approached the local police, seeking permission for a peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Speaking to The Quint, Mohd Asif, chairman of Khidmat-e-Khalq, said that they had reached the police station at 10 am with a letter seeking permission for organising a protest.
Next day, when Asif and seven other members from Khidmat-e-Khalq went to the police station, they were arrested.
The sudden arrest of a group which had gone only to obtain permission for a protest, once again, highlights the high-handedness of the UP police in days ahead of CAA protests across the state on 20 December 2019.
In the complaint letter, dated 17 December 2019, filed before the magistrate, the police claimed that while they were patrolling the city, all eight persons named were found to be insistent on carrying out protest at Kithore's Hapur road, following which they were arrested for security reasons.
The complaint was filed under sections 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offence), 107 (apprehension of the breach of peace and tranquility) and 116 (inquiry as to truth of information by magistrate) of the CrPC.
Asif, however, denies the police version and maintains that they were arrested from the police station itself.
Out on bail now, these activists are contemplating legal action against local media that carried news reports, back then, suggesting that incriminating material was recovered from them during the arrest.
For instance, on 18 December, a local Hindi daily carried a news item on the arrest of eight activists. The inspector at Kithore police station had been quoted to suggest that all the named activists were 'preparing for a protest'.
However, while stating that a large number of posters and pamphlets have been recovered from these individuals, the news report doesn't attribute the information to any source.
Speaking to The Quint, Wasim, one of the members of Khidmat-e-Khalq said:
In the bail bond, filed before the magistrate, the police mentioned that 'in order to ensure law & order is not disturbed at least for a year, the accused will have to file bail bond of Rs 50,000 each.'
These activists also claim that the police didn't allow them to contact their family members who were frantically searching them ever since they left for the police station.
At least five people were killed in firing during CAA protests in Meerut on 20 December 2019. While the police denies that it fired on protesters, families of victims have been pointing fingers at the men in khaki for 'reckless action'.
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