Congress spokesperson and social activist Sadaf Jafar and former IPS officer SR Darapuri, arrested in connection with violence during anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow last month, were released from jail on Tuesday, 7 January.
"The fear of being jailed and beaten up has now gone away, thanks to Yogi ji (UP CM Yogi Adityanath). I will continue to protest strongly till the time this inhuman law is not withdrawn," Jafar said in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Jafar's sister Naheed Varma also took to Facebook after her release, saying, "She's back and raring to go! Thank you all for support and solidarity!!"
A local court gave Jafar and Darapuri bail on Saturday, but they could be released only three days later because some formalities could not be completed, sources cited by PTI said.
Congress city president Mukesh Singh Chauhan told PTI that both walked out of jail at about 10 am on Tuesday.
"I was there along with other office party office bearers to receive them. Our party is against the CAA and against police brutality meted out to the peaceful protestors," he said.
‘Beaten Up and Tortured in Custody’
Jafar was picked up by police while participating in a protest in Lucknow on 19 December. Incidentally, her arrest was captured on video as she was live on Facebook during the protest. Darapuri was arrested the next day.
The police’s treatment of Jafar following her arrest spurred outrage after her family, speaking to The Quint, said that she was “beaten up and tortured” in custody.
A huge number of people, including eminent personalities like Swara Bhasker, Mira Nair and Mahesh Bhatt, also raised the issue of her treatment while in custody on social media.
Earlier, on 23 December, a court had rejected Jafar's plea stating that “the offences under which she has been booked are serious in nature and she is not entitled to bail.”
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