Rampur admin taking steps to attach properties of 25 vandals in anti-CAA stir: DM

The Rampur district administration is taking steps to attach properties of 25 people, identified as ones vandalising public properties during violent protests against changes in the citizenship law, said officials on Sunday.

A 22-year-old man had died of a bullet injury here on Saturday during the violence in which several locals and policemen were injured, and six vehicles, including a police motorcycle, were torched, the officials said.

"We have procured CCTV footage and identified so far 25 people involved in the violence. FIRs are being registered and the process has begun to attach their properties and further actions as needed," Rampur District Magistrate Aunjaneya Singh told PTI.

He said around a dozen protestors were detained after stone pelting and arson during a bandh call in the city, but some of them were released after inquiry.

"We are not holding back anyone involved in peaceful demonstrations but those involved in the violence will be booked," Singh said.

The family members of deceased Faiz Ahmed, meanwhile, alleged he was killed in a police firing and doctors at the district hospital did not attend him for two hours, a charge denied by the officials.

"The police did not resort to firing. After stone pelting and torching of vehicles by mob, the police appealed to them to disperse and eventually opened tear gas shells and resorted to lathi charge. The police later also used rubber bullets but at no point opened fire," said the district magistrate.

"We are analysing the footage and find out who opened fire and book the culprit for murder," he said, adding, "I am one hundred per cent sure the fire was opened by someone in the crowd of protestors and not the police."