Citizenship Act Protests: Court Reserves Order On Bail To Activist Sadaf Jafar, Ex-IPS Officer SR Darapuri

A court here on Friday reserved order on the bail plea of Congress worker Sadaf Jafar, ex-IPS officer S R Darapuri and six others. They were arrested for alleged involvement in violence during anti-CAA protests. Earlier, it was reported that Jafar, Darapuri, Pawan Rao Ambedkar and many others were granted bail on Friday.

Jafar and others were arrested on December 19, 2019 for protesting against the amended citizenship law in Lucknow. The Hazratganj police booked them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and the Criminal Law (Amendment ) Act, 1932. More than 100 people were arrested after December 19 protests.

The court of Additional Sessions Judge SS Pandey heard their individual pleas as well as submissions of the government lawyer. The others whose pleas were heard are Mohd Naseem, Mohd Shoaib, Nafees, Pawan Rai Ambedkar, Shah Faiz and Mohd Aziz.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, actors Swara Bhaskar and Sushant Singh and director Mahesh Bhatt were among those calling for Sadaf Jafar's immediate release.

Sadaf Jafar, who is also a Congress spokesperson, was arrested while she was live on Facebook from the spot where the protests had gone violent.

In Facebook videos widely shared on social media, Sadaf Jafar was heard saying, "Why are you not stopping them? When there is violence, you are standing and watching the show. What is the use of the helmet? Why aren't you doing anything?"

In another video, in which her face is not visible but her voice can be heard, she is heard saying, "Why are you arresting me? Why didn't you arrest the people who were pelting stones?"