SIT to probe anti-CAA clashes in Kanpur

Kanpur (UP), Dec 25: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on Wednesday to probe cases of rioting registered here during recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The SIT will be headed by Additional SP (Crime) Rajesh Yadav, IG (Kanpur range) Mohit Agarwal said.

Other members of the team will include Circle Officer (Anwarganj), Station House Officer (Kakadev), SHO (Barra), a police Sub-Inspector and a prosecution officer, he said.

The SIT was constituted following the directives of the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) for conducting a fair probe into the cases of violence.

As many as four cases - three with Beckonganj police station and another with Babupurwa police station - have been transferred to the SIT.

The SIT would be better equipped to deal with the electronic gadgets to track down the culprits, especially because social media and WhatsApp were used to bring the alleged rioters together, said an official.

The team would be given access to all data from areas under the jurisdiction of police stations where the clashes occurred, Senior SP Anant Deo Tewari said.

The station heads of Beckonganj and Babupurwa have been asked to extend all support to SIT in its probe, the SSP said.

Instructions have been issued to gather evidences against the accused persons who were named in the FIRs and whose names have come up during investigation, he added.

Anti-CAA protestors on Saturday set Yatimkhana police post on fire and indulged in intense brick-batting.

Two persons had died in Friday's clashes here between the protesters and police and another succumbed to injuries at a hospital on Sunday.

Police had to lob tear-gas shells and use canes to disperse them and fire tenders were rushed to control the flame.