UP Police arrests four for violence during anti-CAA protests in Muzaffarnagar; 85 people apprehended so far

Muzaffarnagar: Four more people have been arrested here for their alleged involvement in violence during the anti-CAA protests, police said on Friday. Shameem, Inam Shamim, Alvi and Salman were arrested on Thursday evening after being identified on the basis of CCTV footage for allegedly indulging in stone pelting during the violence that broke out on 20 December, they said. [caption id=“attachment_5144911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] While three accused were arrested by the Civil Lines police station, one was arrested by the Kotwali police station. With these fresh arrests, the total number of people apprehended in the district for their alleged involvement in the violence that broke out during the protest has gone up to 85. Police recently started identifying alleged troublemakers on the basis of CCTV footage from areas where the violence broke out. The UP police had arrested two persons in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday evening on similar charges. Eighteen people have been released here so far by court orders after police filed reports stating there was no evidence of their involvement in the violence. This town in western Uttar Pradesh witnessed violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act after Friday prayers on December 20. Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and loot were reported from some localities during which several protesters were injured. Around 1,200 people were arrested and 5,558 kept in preventive detention in the state following clashes during the anti-CAA protests, officials had said.