In Delhi, protest now has a paperwork trail. Amid sporadic protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following the call given by Cockroach Janata Party and All India Students' Association, Delhi Police has registered multiple FIRs since Saturday at various locations, according to officers.
Even as the number of cases filed has not been revealed officially, sources said at least 20 FIRs have been registered. These are in addition to 25 FIRs registered in connection with similar demonstrations held between October 2 and 9, which include cases related to alleged assault on police personnel, unauthorised demonstrations and other violations.
The latest FIRs pertain to incidents reported during Saturday's demonstrations when groups of protesters attempted to assemble at several locations in parts of the capital. The cases registered include allegations of disrupting law and order, obstructing public servants from discharging their duties and other violations.
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The sections invoked, the number of people named as accused and the details of the allegations in individual cases are yet to be revealed. After CJP-AISA called for protest over alleged discrepancies in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise, Delhi Police on Saturday intervened to disperse gatherings and detain protesters in various parts of the city following denial of permission to hold demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
The capital saw heavy restrictions over the weekend to quell the protests. While 45 Metro stations were closed Saturday amid heavy security deployment, around 30,000 police personnel, supported by 200 companies of paramilitary forces, remained deployed across the city Sunday.
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A day after thousands of people were detained, more than 500 people were detained on Sunday as sporadic demonstrations continued for the second day in a row. The legal strategy is clear: turn protest into a criminal case. Deny permission under Section 163 BNSS, then if people assemble, book them for disobedience, obstructing public servant, unlawful assembly. Over time, even if cases do not lead to conviction, the FIR itself becomes a deterrent - for students, for jobs, for passports. The Supreme Court's Sunday direction to ensure no illegal detentions and to file compliance reports may put a check on this. But the question remains: when 45 cases are filed in 10 days for demanding transparency over electoral rolls, is the law being used to maintain order or to manage accountability?
Tags: #DelhiPolice #FIR #CJP #AISA #SIR #JantarMantar #Section163BNSS #Protest #GyaneshKumar