BSP district president of Muzaffarnagar Kamal Gautam has been arrested for allegedly inciting violence here during the countrywide protests by Dalit groups on April 2 against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said today.
Senior Superintendent of Police Anant Dev told reporters here Gautam was arrested here last night after it was found that he allegedly incited a mob of protesters who turned violent and damaged property.
Gautam was produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Ritu Nager who sent him to judicial custody until April 20, senior prosecutor Diwakar Sharma said.
Dalit groups had called for a Bharat Bandh on April 2 in protest against a recent Supreme Court order which they claimed had diluted the SC/ST Act (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Protesters turned violent at several places which resulted in death of at least eight people and destruction of property.
Police said Gautam has been arrested in three cases of violence here.
Meanwhile, police also registered four more cases and arrested a dozen of other protesters in connection with the agitation here. With the latest development, more than 40 cases have been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and above 85 people have bee arrested, police said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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