“One of the deceased had gunshot wounds on his head, while the other had received bullet injuries on his neck. Post-mortem reports stated that both died due to gunshot wounds. Both were residents of Ranchi,” an official was quoted by the PTI as saying
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Two Muslim youths were killed during the protests held in Ranchi against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders’ derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed. Massive protests erupted in various cities of the country on Friday in support of the demand for the arrest of BJP’s suspended spokesperson and expelled leader Naveen Jindal for their controversial remarks.
The two protestors killed during the protests were identified as Sahil and Mubassir.
“One of the deceased had gunshot wounds on his head, while the other had received bullet injuries on his neck. Post-mortem reports stated that both died due to gunshot wounds. Both were residents of Ranchi,” an official was quoted by the PTI as saying.
Eighteen people were injured after the police cracked down on the protesters. A video that surfaced on social media shows that the cops also opened fire at the protesters. In the melee, SSP Surendra Kumar Jha also got injured.
A student of class XII, Afsar Alam is reported to have received several bullet injuries.
“Two of the protesters died. The others, who have been admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, have injuries caused due to stone-pelting as well as pellets,” SP Ranchi Naushad Alam was quoted by Indian Express as saying.
According to reports, Muslims had planned to form a human chain, but stone pelting started when the police dispersed them near Hanuman Mandir. After the clashes, the area was put under curfew, and internet services were suspended in the city.
Apart from Ranchi, in Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj and Saharanpur also witnessed clashes between the protesters and the security forces during protests. Peaceful protests were held in Delhi, Telangana, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
The police in Uttar Pradesh have launched a massive crackdown against the protesters arresting 237 persons including a Prayagraj activist from several districts.
Javed Mohammed, the father of student activist Afreen Fatima and a member of the Welfare Party of India, was also arrested.
In a video statement, Fatima said that her father along with her mother and younger sister were picked up by the police late at night. She did not know about their whereabouts.
Meanwhile, several video clips of police brutality against the protesters have surfaced on social media. In a video from Sahranpur, a cop can be seen brutally beating up Muslim youths. The video was first shared by a BJP MLA on Twitter and deleted later.
