Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said it was “shameful” that party member and activist Sadaf Jafar along with retired IPS officer SR Darapuri, and Dalit lecturer Pavan Rao were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police for violence without any evidence against them.

On Saturday Additional Sessions Judge SS Pandey passed the bail order and asked 14 accused to furnish two bail bonds of ₹50,000 each and personal bonds of the same amount, according to The Hindu.  As per the FIR, 34 named persons were charged under 18 Sections of the IPC and the Public Property Act.

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Chidambaram also said that it was a shocking admission by the police that there is no evidence of their involvement.

“Sadaf Jafar, S R Darapuri and Pavan Rao Ambedkar released on bail after police ADMITTED no evidence of their involvement in violence. Shocking admission,” he said on Twitter.

If that were so, why did the police arrest them in the first place?

And how did the Magistrate remand them to custody without looking at the evidence?

The law says ‘find evidence, then arrest’. The reality is ‘first arrest, then search for evidence’. Shameful.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 5, 2020

“If that were so, why did the police arrest them in the first place? And how did the Magistrate remand them to custody without looking at the evidence,” he asked. “The law says ‘find evidence, then arrest’. The reality is ‘first arrest, then search for evidence’. Shameful,” Chidambaram tweeted.

Jafar’s arrest was condemned by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and filmmaker Mira Nair who directed her in the upcoming movie A Suitable Boy.

“The UP government has crossed all limits of inhumanity,” Priyanka Gandhi tweeted. “Congress activist Sadaf Jafar is clearly seen in the video asking the police to arrest those spreading the violence. The police have put Sadaf in jail by making baseless allegations.”

Gandhi lashed out at Yogi Adityanath’s government in Uttar Pradesh for separating Sadaf’s children from her, “Both of Sadaf’s children are eagerly awaiting the release of their mother. This insensitive government has separated children from their mothers, old men from their children.”

उप्र सरकार ने अमानवीयता की सारी हदें पार कर दी हैं। कांग्रेस की कार्यकर्ता सदफ जफर साफ-साफ वीडियो में पुलिस से हिंसा फैलाने वाले लोगों को गिरफ्तार करने की बात कह रही हैं। पुलिस ने सदफ पर बेबुनियाद आरोप लगाकर जेल में डाल दिया है। pic.twitter.com/YRCdfaWpiu

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 29, 2019

Director Mira Nair welcomed Sadaf’s release as she tweeted a picture on the social media platform.

Sadaf Jafar is back in the world again! #Freesadafjafar How much do I love her? Let me count the ways… pic.twitter.com/OUW1iCOI5w

— Mira Nair (@MiraPagliNair) January 5, 2020