Case against chief of Afghan solidarity body for protest outside UNHRC

The Delhi Police on Wednesday said they registered a case against Afghan Solidarity Committee chief Ahmad Zia Ghani for allegedly violating Covid-19 guidelines during their protest outside the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar

The Delhi Police on Wednesday said they registered a case against Afghan Solidarity Committee chief Ahmad Zia Ghani for allegedly violating Covid-19 guidelines during their protest outside the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a status report in the high court stating that the protest by Afghan refugees was withdrawn from outside the UNHCR office (REUTERS)

The first information report (FIR) under the Indian Penal Code’s section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) was registered at the Vasant Vihar police station on the complaint of sub-inspector Deepak Kumar Tanwar on August 31.

No arrest has been made in the case, so far, the police said.

In his complaint, the sub-inspector mentioned that neither Ghani, who was organiser of the agitation, nor other Afghan protesters were wearing masks or maintaining social distancing. Also, no permission had been taken from the concerned authorities for holding the protest. The UNHCR office and local resident welfare (RWA) had also lodged complaints regarding Covid-19 violations during the protest. Accordingly, the FIR was registered, said a police officer.

Ghani could not be contacted for his comment on the FIR as calls and a text message sent to him remained unanswered.

The agitation, led by the Afghan Solidarity Committee, started on August 23 and saw protesters arriving from Lajpat Nagar, Bhogal, Noida, Greater Noida and Faridabad, among other places.