Held for stir, UP cultural activist out on bail

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, January 9

Cultural activist Deepak Kabir, who was arrested for holding anti-CAA protest, was released from Lucknow jail on Thursday. Reiterating that the battle against the “unconstitutional law” would continue till Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government worked towards winning the trust of the youth, he said those being released on bail from the Lucknow jail would hold a meeting on Youth Day (January 12), Vivekanand’s birth anniversary to chalk out further plans.

A well-known face on the cultural scene of Lucknow, Kabir is still shocked by what he experienced in Hazratganj police station on December 20 when he had gone to find out about theatre activist and Congress spokesperson Sadaf Jafar, who had not returned home on December 19.

Naming a senior IPS officer, Kabir said that he called him an urban Naxal and instructed the constables on duty to beat him up till one inch high welts appear all over his body. Kabir was also witness to the same officer abusing retired Dalit IPS officer SR Darapuri who was released on bail two days ago.

According to Kabir, besides him and activists Darapuri, Pavan Ambedkar and Robin Verma, all others he met in the police station or Lucknow jail were Muslims.

He said that the next step was to find out more about them and collect resources to fight their legal battle and get them out of jail.