The Congress has alleged that policemen caned party activist Sadaf Jafar on the streets before arresting her on Thursday, and pulled her hair and beat her with batons later at night at a police station.

“Sadaf was picked up from Parivartan Chowk (in Lucknow) on Thursday afternoon while she was recording the violence on her mobile phone and broadcasting it live on Facebook,” Congress spokesperson Pradeep Singh told The Telegraph after meeting her in Lucknow jail on Sunday.

“The police beat her and took her to Hazratganj police station. Later at night, male cops brought her out of the lock-up and badly caned her before she was sent to jail. It’s shocking that she has been booked for sabotage and attempt to murder.”

Singh, an advocate, added: “Sadaf has a (bone) injury on the side of her right eye, which is inflamed. She told us that a policeman had pushed his finger into her eye.

“The batons have left black marks on her back, right shoulder and right arm, where she was hit many times. She was not taken for a medical examination before being put in jail. However, she was given some medicines in jail.”

Sadaf is the lone woman among the 120 people arrested for alleged involvement in violence in Lucknow.

The police had baton-charged protesters against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Parivartan Chowk on Thursday, prompting a bout of stone-throwing. Mohammad Vakil, a young passer-by, died of gunshot wounds.

Sadaf was recording the scenes and requesting the police to arrest those resorting to violence rather than those standing peacefully at a distance. But the police began caning her, eyewitnesses have alleged.

They said she was heard asking the police: “Why are you arresting me? Why aren’t you arresting the people throwing stones?”

Lucknow senior superintendent of police Kalanidhi Naithani said: “Only those who were involved in violence or were instigating people to attack the police were arrested. No innocent person will be victimised.”

On Friday, Sadaf’s elder sister Naheed Varma had written on Facebook: “My sister Sadaf was arrested yesterday from Parivartan Chowk. Totally uncalled for and cowardly action of the police! They have slapped charges like sabotage and attempt to murder on her while she was reporting live on how police was complicit in sabotage at the dharna!”

She had added: “None of us were informed…. The children are freaking out with worry and so are we! Please pray for her early release! Bravo (chief minister) Yogi (Adityanath)!”

Naheed met Sadaf, who has young children, in prison on Saturday. Sadaf, also a social activist, was previously associated with the CPM-backed All India Democratic Women’s Association.