Delhi Police files new FIR against 2,800 people with criminal antecedents identified during July 20 protest

The fresh FIR follows a Supreme Court order allowing police to proceed. Police also registered three cases against unknown people over a Congress protest.

The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has registered a fresh FIR against over 2,800 people with criminal antecedents who were identified during the Chalo Sansad march on July 20, officials aware of the matter said. The FIR has been filed under sections of criminal conspiracy, common intention, assault to public servants, vandalism, and rioting.

In July, police had taken details of those with criminal antecedents spotted by the Facial Recognition System but later found that 25 of the 2,873 persons were in jail and not at the protest site. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Crime Branch officers said they will now examine whether those identified were actually part of the protesting crowd on July 20, their criminal antecedents, and their association, if any, with the student outfits involved in the agitation. Investigators will also look into whether any of them played a role in leading or instigating the mob during the violence.

Police said they will track if any of these identified people are engaged in the ongoing protests against the chief election commissioner. “Permission to protest has not been granted yet. So, police stations will track if people with a history of serious offences, especially the ones who came last time, are heading towards the protest site,” a police officer said.

The FIR comes after the Supreme Court on September 1 quashed all FIRs registered against protesters, but allowed the Centre and Delhi Police to register a fresh FIR with respect to 2,873 people with criminal records who were reportedly present at the site of the protest.

In July, police had taken details of those with criminal antecedents spotted by the Facial Recognition System (FRS) but later found that 25 of the 2,873 persons were in jail and not at the protest site. Police said their probe will be done after “proper field investigation”.

At least 2,873 people with criminal records had been flagged by the FRS and HT had reported in July that 989 of them were accused of heinous cases, including 101 named in murder cases and at least 42 involved in two or more murders.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police also lodged three FIRs against unknown persons for assaulting and obstructing police personnel and violating Section 163 (unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita on Wednesday. Officers said Congress members staged a protest near Ashoka Road after they had lunch at Sagar Ratna restaurant in Janpath.