Police vehicle torched, internet services suspended in UP's Bulandshahr

Protesters demonstrating against the amended citizenship act torched a police vehicle in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr after which internet services were suspended across the district on Friday, officials said.

The order for internet suspension was issued to contain the spread of rumours and misinformation on social media, District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said.

"In order to maintain law and order and communal harmony, all mobile internet services are being suspended from 3 pm on December 20 in entire Bulandshahr. Internet-related loop lines and lease lines too shall remain suspended," he said in an order.

A stationary police SUV was torched on Friday afternoon in Bulandshahr, police officials said, adding that no personnel or civilian was injured in the incident.

"It was a stationary police vehicle with no occupants that was torched by protestors. No policeman or civilian was injured. We are trying to identify those involved in the violence and action would be taken against them," Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh told PTI.

Mobile internet and text messaging services remained suspended in several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Aligarh, Ghazibad, on Friday in view of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

CrPC Section 144, which bars assembly of more than four people at a place, is already in force across the state, even as violent protests unfolded in several regions of UP.