One dead as violence rocks UP; Police outposts torched

One person was killed and dozens of vehicles and two police outposts were torched as large scale violence rocked Lucknow and some other parts of Uttar Pradesh during protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Mohammed Vakil, was hit by a bullet during the protests. He was rushed to the hospital but died a few hours later, sources said. Three other youths, who also sustained bullet injuries, were being treated at the KG Medical University Hospital, sources said.

Many parts of Lucknow witnessed large scale violence as protesters went on the rampage torching buses, motor bikes and attacked police outposts prompting the police to use tear gas shells and make lathi charge to disperse them.

Media personnel were also attacked and some OB vans of TV channels were damaged.

Groups of protesters, who also included women and children, came out on the streets at many places in the city and held demonstrations catching the cops unawares. Police claimed that shots were also fired by the mobs.

Madeyganj and Satkhanda police outposts were torched in the walled city areas, sources said. Police and protesters fought pitched battles in Thakurganj, Parivartan Chowk, Khadra and some other localities.

The Metro services came to a halt in the city after all Metro stations were closed following the violence. Police said that around 100 people had been detained in connection with the violence.

Communally sensitive districts of Sambhal, about 400 kilometres from here, also witnessed large scale violence as protesters torched four buses besides indulging in heavy stone pelting.

Police also made lathi charge to disperse hundreds of people protesting against the CAA in Beniabagh locality of Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi, sources said.

The situation at Sambhal and Lucknow was stated to be ''very tense'' and additional security personnel were rushed there from the neighbouring districts, sources said.

Several organisations, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) had given a call for protests on Thursday. Hundreds of SP workers, including MLAs and ex-MPs, were taken into custody at Kushinagar, Balrampur, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Sambhal, Mau, Meerut and other places while protesting against the CAA.

State police chief O.P.Singh asked the parents keep their children away from the protest demonstrations.

Around 250 people have been arrested in connection with the CAA protests in the state so far. Police said that National Security Act (NSA) would be slapped on the protesters if they were found to be involved in destroying public properties.

Internet services remained suspended in Aligarh, Azamgarh, Mau and some other districts as a precautionary measure.