U.P. police arrest 340 people for protesting against Agnipath scheme

Protests continued in some districts, especially in Jaunpur where several vehicles were damaged by mobs of protesters

Charred remains of a police vehicle at Dumraon police station, after it was set on fire by protesters during the Bihar Bandh, called to protest against Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme, in Buxar, on Saturday | Photo Credit: PTI

The Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday said they had arrested 340 persons in connection with the violent protests that broke out in several parts of the State against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.

The Police lodged 29 cases in 12 districts. Out of the 340 persons arrested, 145 were arrested under preventive measures (Section 151 of the Cr.PC). while 195 were arrested under registered FIRs, said police.

Meanwhile, the protests continued in some districts, especially in Jaunpur where several vehicles were damaged by mobs of protesters.

A State roadways bus was vandalised and two motorcycles set ablaze in Badlapur area of Jaunpur, while another bus was set on fire in Sikrara area, said K. Satyanarayan, IG Varanasi.

The officer said the protesting youth were made to disperse. The police would register separate FIRs for each incident, he said. “We will arrest them,” said the IG.

By Saturday evening, the police had registered seven FIRs in Jaunpur alone.

In Aligarh, where several vehicles and public property were targeted on Friday, police said they were taking action against those “instigating” the protests through microblogging sites and social media. The police had also taken into custody managers of some coaching institutes for allegedly instigating the army aspirants, said DIG Aligarh Deepak Kumar.

In Mathura, police arrested 43 persons, 35 in Aligarh, 36 in Varanasi, 41 in Jaunpur, 20 in Mirzapur and 15 in Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Under Cr.PC 151, police arrested 109 persons in Ballia, where protesters had also set a train coach on fire, and 27 in Mathura.