The families of the arrested persons told that they were not allowed to meet their family members despite several requests.
"My brother, Rehan, was arrested last evening when he was returning after offering Friday prayers at Jama Masjid. He was boarding an auto when he was arrested. The police told him and others that they will drop them home but they took them to the police station. It has been more than 24 hours that we have seen him. We were outside the police station for the whole night but not allowed to meet any of the arrested member," Azhar told .
Another person Md Zayad said, "One of my friends, Md Amir, was arrested from Daryaganj while he was in an auto with two of his friends. I don't exactly know whether they went to participate in the protest or were there randomly. The three of them are in the age group of 21-23. We were there at the police station for the whole night and the policemen kept telling us that they will be released after some time but at 3 a.m. they asked us to come in the morning. When we reached the police station in the morning they said that first they will present them in the court and then take the necessary steps."
"My brother-in-law has been arrested with two of his friends and two women while he was returning after offering Friday prayers at night. Without even listening to them, the police made my brother-in-law and his two friends sit in the police van. When we reached the police station, they said that all the three will be released but they only released one person. We got to know in the morning that charges have been framed against them and they will be produced before the court. Their lawyers are working hard to get them bail," said Md Imran.
Md Sanju Ansari, another person waiting to see his brother said, "My brother, Md Ali, was arrested from Jama Masjid market while was returning after offering Friday prayers. The police, for the whole night, didn't allow us to meet him."
( With inputs from IANS )