Masihuzzama Ansari | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—The 18-year-old Lovepreet Singh alias Rajkumar, resident of Shadipur village in Haryana’s Kaithal district, is the first Sikh to have been arrested by the Delhi Police under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Shaheen Bagh in South Delhi.
He was first arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in June and then by Patiala Police. His case was latter on handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Lovepreet is the 19th person to have been arrested under UAPA in connection with anti-CAA agitation in Delhi.
His family says that he was arrested for carrying the “langar” (food) for anti-CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh.
Speaking to India Tomorrow, Lovepreet’s father, Amrik Singh, said, “Police arrested my son in June. He had assisted in running a ‘langar’ for anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh. Lovepreet brought ‘langar’materials from Kaithal district in Haryana”.
“Lovepreet does the CCTV installation work and was never involved in any criminal activity. Police picked up him while he was on his way to Patiala”, his father said.
Delhi Police has registered a case under UAPA against Lovepreet. He was later on arrested by Patiala police. Police sources said that some Pro-Khalistan content was found the Facebook Page of Lovepreet.
According to the FIR, Delhi Police arrested Lovpreet, along with his other accomplices for possessing a pistol and some cartridges.
His counsel, Advocate Tamanna Pankaj, speaking to India tomorrow, said, “It has been five months since Lovepreet was arrested. He was accused of being pro-Khalistan. Lovepreet has been booked in Delhi and Punjab”.
“However, no chargesheet has yet been filed in this case”, said Tamanna.
Association for Protection of Civil Rights’(APCR) National Coordinator advocate Shoaib Inamdar says, “Prime facie it appears that the charges against Lovepreet are baseless”.
“APCR is fighting to ensure justice for Lovepreet”, says Shoaib. “APCR will provide full legal support to Lovepreet”, Shoaib promises.
Many Sikhs and farmers organizations from Haryana and Punjab had organized langar during the anti-CAA demonstration in Shaheen Bagh. Many Sikh youths and social activists from Haryana and Punjab had supported the ‘langar’and used to bring in food materials to the dharna site daily.
(The story was originally written in Hindi by Masihuzzama Ansari. It was translated in English by Kashif Ahmad Faraz).
