Anti-CAA stir: Two boys shot dead by the police in Muzaffarnagar on Friday, lawyers demand inquiry

Deploring the death of two young boys in police firing on Friday, both shot in the head, a group of lawyers have demanded an inquiry into the police firing and the role of BJP Member of Parliament Sanjeev Baliyan.

One of the lawyers told NH that according to his information, both the boys were shot from point-blank range. While a 17-year old youth was killed on the spot, another youth who was shot, died on the way to the hospital.

The lawyers, who plan to file a petition before the Allahabad High Court, informed over the phone that the police opened fire on the peaceful protestors after the BJP leader arrived from New Delhi around 4 pm.

One hundred thousand people, they claimed, had gathered in the Khalapar area to protest against the amended citizenship law and the proposed NRC. But late in the afternoon, the police went on a rampage, they alleged, at the instigation of the BJP leader.

The lawyers claimed that police repression continued throughout Friday night and on Saturday. Internet shutdown and shutdown of mobile networks, they added, were not allowing information to filter out. They claimed -

• At least 200 vehicles, mostly owned by Muslims, were damaged by the police at midnight
• Scores of houses and gates of Muslim residents close to the GT Road were also damaged at nigh
• Two mosques were also damaged
• Over 200 people were detained or arrested by the police
• The car of former MP Saiduzzaman was set on fire in daylight hours
• Policemen assaulted women

It is important to recall that the controversial BJP leader Sanjeev Baliyan was also accused of instigating Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013.

An eyewitness claimed that around 1.5 lakhs people had gathered to protest discriminatory CAA near Meenakshi Chowk in the city. Both protesters and police, he said, were calm and composed unttil Baliyan arrived on the spot.

Unofficial estimates say over 10 thousand people were picked up by the police on Friday from various cities in Uttar Pradesh, though the police put the number at just three thousand or so, and more than 12 people lost their lives.