Two persons
were killed in Mangaluru, Karnataka and one person died in Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh, due to gunshot wounds sustained during nationwide protests held
against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed pan-India National
Register of Citizens (NRC) on Thursday.
Jaleel (49)
and Nausheen (23) died after receiving firearm injuries, as the police attempted
to control protests that took place across multiple cities in Karnataka,
including Mangaluru.
In Lucknow,
Mohd Wakeel, a resident of Hussainabad, died as police cracked down on
protesters in the capital city of UP. The Director General of Police however
said that the police has nothing to do with Wakeel’s death, and that an
investigation will be carried out in this matter.
Protests were held across 56 cities in 24 states and Union Territories on December 19, leading to the imposition of Section 144, which prevents the gathering of four or more persons in a given place as a riot-prevention measure.
In many parts of the country, including Delhi,
several cities of Karnataka such as Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Mysuru, as well
as all the districts of Assam. Mobile services, voice calls and internet
services were suspended in parts of the country, including in the Northeast.
Several
persons, including policemen were injured in violence in parts of UP,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat during the day-long protest over
the new citizenship law.
Police
opened fire in Mangaluru after confronted by stone-pelting protesters, as a
result of which a resident of the port area, 49-year-old Jaleel and a resident
of Bengre, 23-year-old Nausheen were critically injured, and later surrendered to
their wounds.
Manguluru police commissioner P S Harsha told
that the police were forced to open fire in self-defence, and that 20 policemen
have been seriously injured. Police have imposed curfew in the city till Friday
midnight.
The UP
police confirmed that 112 people were arrested in Lucknow after they
participated in the protests. At least 16 policemen, including ADG Lucknow SN
Sabat and IG Lucknow SK Bhagat, were injured in Lucknow while two cops were
injured in Sambhal, police said.