Knocking on dissent: Police pay home visits to warn citizens against protests

MUMBAI: Responding to a knock on her door at 10:15 am on Thursday, Bandra-based Natasha Pareira was shocked to face three police personnel – two men and a woman – dressed in plain clothes at her doorstep

MUMBAI: Responding to a knock on her door at 10:15 am on Thursday, Bandra-based Natasha Pareira was shocked to face three police personnel – two men and a woman – dressed in plain clothes at her doorstep. Claiming to be from Bandra police station’s Intelligence Unit, they promptly proceeded to verify her name and asked whether she was going to attend a protest to be held at Mumbai University’s Kalina campus at 1 pm on Friday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid allegations of mishandling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The protest was called by the Disha Students’ Organisation, an independent youth movement. “Apart from the three cops, one police van was parked beneath my building and another one around five meters away,” said Pareira, who had attended the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) October 2 protest at Shivaji Park, and another one on October 11 at Dadar, where she met members of Disha.

“As I became uncomfortable with the questioning by the men, I asked my fiancé Shringar Mascarenhas to communicate with them. They refused to leave despite my assurances that I had no plans to attend the Kalina protest,” said Pariera. Mascarenhas intervened, emphasising that their line of questioning was bordering on harassment.

“The policemen then told me that they were here because we were protesting against the government. But I clarified that the Election Commission is an independent body,” said Mascarenhas. “They eventually left after both of us reiterated that we were not joining the protest. This was only an attempt to intimidate us.” Both Pareira and Mascarenhas are social activists.

This is not an isolated case. Many citizens of Mumbai have had to undergo a similar line of interrogation by Mumbai police in the last 15 days.

On Sunday, Sahil Parsekar, a marketing professional with a private firm, was allegedly detained by the police for over 13 hours at the Bandra police station based on a tip-off that he was going to join the protest organised by Disha at Carter Road the same afternoon.

“The police tracked me down at my friend’s house, which was barricaded, with 10 policemen and policewomen standing on guard. They did not let anyone leave the premises till 1.30pm,” said Parsekar. When he called his lawyer to reason with the police, they took him to the police station to allegedly detain him for 13 hours. “I could not attend the protest,” said Parsekar, who however made it to the Kalina protest on Friday.

“We co-operated with the police for Friday’s a peaceful protest,” said Parsekar, who was a volunteer at the October 2 and October 11 protests. “Earlier, while in detention, I was not even allowed to see my lawyer. They let me go only when Tiger Shroff was shot and the police personnel had to rush to the spot,” he added.

Unlawful detention apart, many allegedly faced assault by cops, even at spots far from the protest sites, after they were traced through their mobile phone numbers.

Amir Kazi, a member of the All India Student Federation (AISF), is one. “I was walking towards Parel to visit my sister in Byculla on October 11, when at least 15 police officers surrounded and manhandled me. I now need the support of a walking stick due to the injuries,” said Kazi, who attended the October 2 protest.

A resident of Dongri, Kazi said he was named on October 10 in the FIR as an accused with (Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson) Tushar Gandhi and lawyer Samya Korde even though he did not participate in the protest held outside the August Kranti Maidan. “The police do not even call it illegal detention. They look upon it as meet-and-greet,” said Kazi.

Over 900 people—including students, activists, senior citizens, passers-by and prominent figures such as Tushar Gandhi—were allegedly detained during demonstrations demanding the resignation Gyanesh Kumar. Detainees alleged they were picked up without a cause, subjected to heavy-handed tactics near August Kranti Maidan, Nana Chowk and Shivaji Park.

Activists Feroze Mithiborwala and Salim Saboowala, from the civil society group Hum Bharat Ke Log, could not travel to Delhi to support the protest jointly held by CJP and other organisations on October 10, as officers from the MIDC police station in Andheri (east) visited their residences on October 8 and allegedly detained them. “As we were detained for several hours our plans to go to Delhi had to be aborted,” said Mithiborawala.

“Both of us have been repeatedly targeted with arbitrary summons and prolonged detentions – a clear infringement on our fundamental rights to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India,” said Mithiborwala.

Korde, who represents many protestors, said police personnel had turned up at her Wadala home on October 11 and instructed her to stay put. “They claimed that many objectionable posts were being shared on social media ahead of the protest. But despite assuring that I did not share any such objectionable post, they detained and served a notice to me for participating in the protest,” said Korde. “Police have harassed me multiple times for raising my voice against issues.”

Many social activists, who did not wish to be named, claimed that in the last 15 days, police officers have visited homes of young protesters and called them directly, instructing them to stay indoors and warning them not to attend demonstrations.

Protesters have also reported about being pressured or asked by police to share their live GPS locations during ongoing unrest or after being booked. Activists associated with various student and political groups (such as the CJP and Mumbai Against Suppression of Students) have allegedly faced searches, WhatsApp legal notices, and station transfers.

When asked to comment on the issue, Mohitkumar Garg, deputy commissioner of police (Bandra), said: “This is a part of routine check-up, carried out by the police after they receive oral complaints. Most recently, there were complaints of a few people going to the Kalina protest despite not getting permission.”