Lucknow: Hours after the two were released on bail, Congress leader Sadaf Jafar and former IPS officer S.R. Darapuri stood in front of cameras to narrate how the Uttar Pradesh police allegedly thrashed and abused them last month when they were arrested in connection with anti-CAA protests.
“I was called a Pakistani,” Jafar said after she and Darapuri were released from jail in Lucknow Tuesday.
Both were arrested last month after violent protests broke out in the UP capital over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. While Jafar was arrested on 19 December, Darapuri was detained the next day. The two secured bail last week.
Both spoke to ThePrint Tuesday about the alleged police excesses meted out to them by the UP police.
“On December 19, when large scale violence broke out in Lucknow during protests against CAA, I was only trying to focus on police’s inaction via my Facebook live. I was repeatedly saying, ‘Why you are not arresting those stone pelters?’
“Soon after that some female police personnel grabbed me and took me to Hazratganj police station,” Jafar told ThePrint.
On the way to the police station, said the activist-actor, “indecent barbs and abuses were hurled towards me”.
“They said, ‘Today we will let you know. You are too fond of being an activist.’ In the police custody I was thrashed brutally. When the police personnel kicked me with their feet, the female personnel also pulled my hair,” she said.
According to her, a policeman kicked her so hard that she started to bleed.
“One policeman said, ‘Do you even know what CAA is?’ My family was not even informed about my arrest. My phone was also snatched. Those who visited Hazratganj police station to enquire about me were also arrested and thrashed,” she said.
Jafar said hundreds of innocent persons have been framed, including social activist Dipak Kabir who was also brutally beaten. She alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government is directly involved in instigating violence in Lucknow on 19 December, and called for a high-level probe into the matter.
“Those who have no money to fight their cases continue to languish in the jails. The (UP) government itself instigated violence. I will continue my fight against CAA,” added Jafar.
The Congress leader, whose release was sought by filmmaker Mira Nair, also expressed gratitude towards party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The senior leader had not only tweeted about Jafar’s arrest, but also visited her home to meet her family members.
उप्र सरकार ने अमानवीयता की सारी हदें पार कर दी हैं। कांग्रेस की कार्यकर्ता सदफ जफर साफ-साफ वीडियो में पुलिस से हिंसा फैलाने वाले लोगों को गिरफ्तार करने की बात कह रही हैं। पुलिस ने सदफ पर बेबुनियाद आरोप लगाकर जेल में डाल दिया है। pic.twitter.com/YRCdfaWpiu
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 29, 2019
“In my absence, my family was handled with great care. Toys were brought for my kids. Various top leaders from the party visited me while I was in custody,” said Jafar.
Also read: ‘No rectal bleeding, but police thrashed us and said drink urine’: UP madrasa students
No food, no blanket: Former IPS officer SR Darapuri
Former IPS officer S.R. Darapuri was arrested on 20 December for an alleged role in instigating violence in Lucknow during the anti-CAA protests.
“When all the violence was taking place, I was under house arrest. I was charged with posting comments against the Citizenship Amendment Act and instigating the people (for violence). All these are baseless allegations,” said Darapuri.
“After that I was taken to the police station. Despite being hungry, no food was given to me. I was feeling too cold and asked for a blanket but the police denied even that. One policeman said, ‘Keep your mouth shut and keep sitting as you are’,” he said.
The former police officer said several innocent people were brought into the police station and mercilessly thrashed “in front of our eyes”.
‘Will continue to oppose CAA’
Darapuri said he is not afraid of going to jail and his fight against CAA will continue in future too.
“The government wants to weaken the protest against CAA,” said Darapuri but added that he was not ready to “back out”.
Sadaf Jafar too added that she isn’t going to stop protesting against the issue. “The torturous treatment in the jail has not weakened me, instead it has only added strength to my resolve and I will continue my fight on this issue.”
As of now, Jafar said, her priority is to secure the release of other detained activists.
Anti-CAA protests have continued across the country for nearly a month. The legislation has been dubbed “unconstitutional” and “communal” by the Opposition parties and protesters.
Also read: RSS mouthpiece says ‘jihadist-communist’ alliance behind CAA protests, courts should step in