AGRA: Police booked 1,600 people and arrested 110 a day after violent protests against the Centre's Agnipath scheme swept across Aligarh and Mathura. Recovery proceedings for damaging public property are "likely" to be initiated against them soon, said officials.
In Aligarh’s Jattari area, where a police outpost and vehicle were torched by protestors, cops registered four FIRs and arrested more than three dozen people, including nine Army coaching operators. Cases were registered against roughly 600, including 66 "identified" persons.
FIRs were registered at the Tappal police station under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy), along with sections 2 and 7 of the Prevention of Damage To Public Property Act, and section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
Aligarh DM Indra Vikram Singh said "strict action" would be taken against those who damaged public property. “We will recover the cost of the damage from the accused after their identification process is completed,” he said, adding that the violence was motivated by some "anti-social elements".
DIG (Aligarh range) Deepak Kumar said the situation was "under control" and that action would be taken against "those who instigated violence through provocative social media posts".
According to FIRs, three buses from Aligarh depot, two buses from Greater Noida depot, and two Haryana Roadways buses were set on fire.
Meanwhile, five FIRs were registered in Mathura district and 1,000 people were booked under various IPC sections for similar protests on the Yamuna expressway and NH2. Seventy-four people had been arrested so far, said police. Two similar FIRs were registered in Agra under relevant sections of the IPC. Fifteen people were arrested by cops.
