Delhi Police file 6 FIRs in Parliament march by CJP

The Delhi Police officials have so far registered six FIRs, including one of larger criminal conspiracy, and detained six people in connection with the violence that took place during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march to Parliament on Monday, officers aware of the matter said on Tuesday

The Delhi Police officials have so far registered six FIRs, including one of larger criminal conspiracy, and detained six people in connection with the violence that took place during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march to Parliament on Monday, officers aware of the matter said on Tuesday.

Security personnel deployed near Jantar Mantar. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The FIRs were registered on the complaints of injured police personnel at the Connaught Place and Parliament Street police stations, officers aware of the details said, adding that no arrest has been made, and further legal action would be taken based on the evidence collected.

“More FIRs are likely to be registered,” a senior police officer aware of the investigation said.

Tens of thousands of protesters marched to the Parliament in central Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over paper leaks and exam irregularities. The protesters toppled barricades and clashed with security personnel in their attempt to march to Parliament, just over a kilometre away from Jantar Mantar, prompting the Central Industrial Security Force to seal the gates of the Parliament complex for the first time since the 2001 Parliament attack. Commandos took up positions with automatic weapons, sparking a controversy.

The Delhi Police said the planned but unauthorised march to Parliament was handled “professionally,” but visuals showed personnel in full riot gear taking action against protesters.

A second senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said that police commissioner Anurag Kumar, who assumed office three days ago, oversaw the operation on Monday from the deputy commissioner of police’s office (New Delhi) and issued a clear directive that no protester could cross the second layer of barricading. “His direction was clear: to ‘handle’ the crowd if they crossed the first layer,” the officer said.

Officers aware of the matter said that a decision to file multiple FIRs was taken at the top level.

One of the FIRs pertained to unauthorised operation of a drone in New Delhi, a high-security zone, amid the ongoing Parliament Session.

Another FIR pertained to an alleged conspiracy to incite violence, officers said, citing “significant evidence” gathered in this regard.

Two other FIRs invoked sections of rioting, obstructing public servants from discharging their duties, assaulting police personnel, and damaging government property during the protests.

Two more FIRs of assault were also registered, with one including charges of taking the law into one’s own hands.

While most of the charges were filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act was also invoked in multiple FIRs for alleged possession of prohibited weapons.

Besides, a document accessed by HT pertaining to preventive detention filed at Mandir Marg police station reported detention of six people aged between 19 and 30.

A sub-inspector police is quoted in the document as stating: “A few people had been detained and brought to the police station... they were sloganeering and said that it’s their right to protest, they questioned the detention and were getting aggressive, it caused inconvenience to the public and disturbed the peace and tranquillity of the station. Therefore, I informed the SHO and on his direction, took legal action under section 126/170 (preventive custody to maintain peace)”.