The death toll in the violence that occurred during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut two days ago rose to five, a senior police official said on Sunday, December 22, 2019.



The deceased have been identified as Mohsin, Aasif, Zahir, Aalim, all residents of Meerut, and Asif from Delhi, Inspector General Alok Singh said.

Police used lathi charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse mobs. The injured are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the city, Singh said.

Police have arrested 102 people in connection with the violence and efforts are on to nab other suspects, he added.

Singh said internet services have been shut down for now and social media is being continuously monitored for inflammatory posts.

To maintain law and order, peace committees have been constituted under police stations and local residents have also been roped in, he said.