Two years on, Uttar Pradesh police invokes Goondas Act against 67 anti-CAA protesters, most of them labourers

RAMPUR: Two years after an anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protest in Rampur turned violent, the UP police has invoked the Goondas Act against 67 people who were allegedly part of the demonstration in 2019.At the beginning of this month, additional district magistrate Ram Bharat Tiwari started serving notices under the Act to the protesters. Rampur superintendent of police Shagun Gautam told TOI that the Act has been invoked against 67 offenders so far and more notices were underway.A 27-year-old man, Faiz Khan, had died while five people and a dozen policemen had sustained injuries after violence erupted at a protest against CAA in Rampur on December 21, 2019 near Hathikhana square. The crowd was dispersed after police resorted to firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters. Many of the protesters had been arrested and sent to jail.“About 200 protesters had been arrested for the violence back then and we have named 142 in our chargesheet. We have invoked the Goondas Act against those who took part in the violence and sent a report to the court of the district magistrate. Investigation is still on and more protesters will be served notices,” he said.Three separate FIRs had been registered after the incident. Police said they went through video footage and photographs to identify protesters and booked them under several sections of the IPC, including murder, attempt to murder and rioting.The protesters now served notices have been given 15 days to submit replies to the court, said the additional district magistrate. “If they are found guilty, they will have to stay away from the district for six months under the provisions of the Act,” Tiwari told TOI.Muhammad Rehman Ali, the counsel who will appear before the ADM’s court on behalf of the anti-CAA protesters, said that majority of those served notices were labourers, daily wagers and embroidery workers. “They don’t have any criminal history and are innocent. We will challenge the notices after submitting appropriate replies to the court,” he said.Among those served notices was 24-year-old daily wager Sonu (who only uses his first name). “I was not part of the protest but was picked up in 2019. I stayed in jail for nearly two months before I could manage to get bail. I’m already fighting a court case and this notice has added to my worries. I earn Rs 3,000 a month and I can’t afford legal fees,” he said.