Uttar Pradesh: Security tightened in Aligarh as youth injured in anti-CAA protest dies

Security was beefed up in the old city areas here after a youth injured in last month's violent clashes over the new citizenship law died at a hospital, police said on Saturday.

According to the spokesperson of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Mohammad Tariq Munawwar (22) had suffered gunshot injuries and was on ventilator support for the last few days.

Munawwar's condition deteriorated on Friday evening and he succumbed to injuries shortly before midnight, the hospital official said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muniraj G told mediapersons that security had been beefed up in all sensitive areas of the city as a precautionary measure.

On Thursday, police had arrested local BJP leader Vinay Varshney in connection with the attack on Munawwar, who was shot at and seriously wounded on February 23, when violence erupted at Upper Kot locality in the city after police evacuated some anti-CAA women protesters.

Varshney was arrested from his house in Babri Mandi and booked in an attempt to murder case along with two others who are still at large.

Besides the BJP leader, five others including Mustaqeem, Anwaar, Famhimuddin, Sabir and Imran were arrested for the violent incidents at Upper Kot.

However, claiming that Varshney had been framed, some Hindu right wing groups have started demanding his immediate release and have also organised protests.

As a result, several shops in the old city have remained shut for the last two days as an uneasy calm prevails in the area.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team has begun investigations into the violent clashes and asked those with any information including video evidence to come forward.

The request comes after a video purportedly showing Munawwar being shot at went viral on social media. The SSP also told reporters that all such videos were being examined by experts.