Robin Verma, a social activist and teacher, who was arrested by the police a day after violence in Lucknow during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, was on Tuesday granted bail by a district court, his lawyer said.
Mr. Verma was picked up by the Lucknow police on the evening of December 20 from a restaurant in Hazratganj area of the State capital along with this reporter.
His lawyer Kamlesh Singh said Mr. Verma was granted bail and would have to submit a bond of ₹50,000.
In court, Mr. Verma submitted that he was part of the peaceful protest against the CAA but had nothing to do with the “criminal violence,” Mr. Singh said.
His lawyer argued against the “illegal manner of his arrest” and questioned the time and place recorded by the police.
The police claimed Mr. Verma was arrested on December 21 near the high court road, Mr. Singh said.
Mr. Verma was not named in the FIR lodged at the Hazratganj police station. A native of Unnao district near Lucknow, Mr. Verma is a member of the Rihai Manch, a forum that helps “innocent” persons implicated in “fake” terror cases fight legal battles. The president of Rihai Manch, septuagenarian Mohammad Shoaib, was also arrested while he was under house arrest, and is still in jail.
