48 arrested for violence during anti-CAA protest in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal

Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh): At least 48 people have been arrested in connection with violence during a protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) here, police said on Wednesday.

Superintendent of Police Yamuna Prasad said, "55 persons have been identified and posters are being released for the identification of other 150 people who were involved in violence during the protests against the Amended Citizenship Act. We have arrested 48 persons so far. Three cases have been registered for spreading hateful messages and videos."

An FIR was registered against 17 people including some Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on December 20. On Friday, police-protestors clashes erupted in different districts of Uttar Pradesh including Bahraich, Bareilly, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Gorakhpur, etc.

During the protest, a state transport bus was allegedly set on fire during the protests. Protests have intensified in several parts of the country after the Parliament gave the nod to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which became an Act after getting assent from President Ram Nath Kovind.

Section-144 was imposed in various parts of the state in view of the prevailing law and order situation. The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.