CAA protest: Bhim Army's Chandrashekhar Azad slips from detention at Delhi's Jama Masjid

New Delhi, Dec 20: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad escaped police custody and ran after leading a huge protest against the citizenship law at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of Delhi on Friday

According to Bhim Army, the police tried to detain Azad at Jama Masjid but he managed to get away. However, he was detained later near Daryaganj, it said.

The massive protest march led by Bhim Army against the citizenship law, despite the police denying permission to it, comes a day after thousands of students, activists and opposition leaders hit the streets in the national capital defying security clampdown and prohibitory orders.

Delhi Police had earlier denied permission to Bhim Army to take out a protest march on Friday from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against the amended citizenship law.

Prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 are in place near the Red Fort area since Thursday, prohibiting assembly of four or more people.

Thousands of students, activists and opposition leaders hit the streets in the national capital on Thursday, defying heavy security clampdown and prohibitory orders even as authorities suspended mobile internet services and restricted traffic movement to quell the swirling agitation.

Opposition leaders D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and activists Yogendra Yadav, Umar Khalid were among over 1,200 people detained from areas around Red Fort and Mandi House -- the sites of the two planned demonstrations.