The Lucknow police have arrested three members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and claimed that the organisation was the mastermind behind Thursday's (19 December) violence that erupted during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state capital.

The anti-CAA protests on Thursday (19 December) had left one dead and 50 injured.

Those arrested have been identified as Waseem Ahmad, president of PFI, Nadeem, treasurer, and Ashfaq, divisional president.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Lucknow, Kalanidhi Naithani told reporters on Monday (23 December) night that PFI members held several meetings across the city. He said that the police had found conclusive evidence of this through electronic surveillance and eyewitness accounts.

"The PFI also distributed pamphlets, placards and other offensive material on the Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) to people in various colonies and also on the social media," the SSP said.

He also added that mass mobilisation was done by the PFI activists in the city along with other outfits, including the Rihai Manch. Robin Verma, an activist of the Rihai Manch is already in jail.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)