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Pune MPSC protest: 15 booked; Rohit Pawar alleges false FIR
The FIR was registered at Vishrambaug police station on charges including unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, disobedience of police orders and public nuisance
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Pune city police on Friday registered a case against 15 Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) protesters and others for allegedly continuing their agitation near SM Joshi Bridge in Navi Peth despite the cancellation of permission and repeated directions to vacate the site.
The FIR was registered at Vishrambaug police station on charges including unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, disobedience of police orders and public nuisance.
The action follows the police’s decision on Thursday to deny permission for the agitation, which continued despite the cancellation of an earlier authorisation. The development comes amid an ongoing standoff over the students’ demands, even after a delegation met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on September 30.
According to the police, student representatives led by Pramod Patil had sought permission on September 25 to stage a protest over various MPSC-related demands. Permission was initially denied for Alka Talkies Chowk, and the protesters were advised to consider alternative locations.
On September 26, the police granted permission for a protest near SM Joshi Bridge on October 2, subject to certain conditions. However, after the delegation met Fadnavis on September 30, the representatives wrote to police commissioner Amitesh Kumar that they were withdrawing their proposed agitation scheduled for October 2. The police communicated in writing that the permission had been cancelled.
The protesters allegedly gathered at Indulal Complex near SM Joshi Bridge around 4 pm on October 1 and continued their agitation without fresh permission. According to the police, they formed an unlawful assembly, obstructed traffic and made provocative statements despite repeated instructions to disperse.
The police also referred to observations made by the Bombay High Court regarding the need to ensure the uninterrupted flow of traffic. They said the protesters had been asked to shift to an alternative location if they wished to continue their agitation. Deputy commissioner of police Prashant Amritkar also issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
“The case has been registered under Sections 189(2), 189(3), 190(3), 126(2), 189(5), 223, 270 and 292 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with other relevant provisions,” deputy commissioner of police Krushikesh Rawle said.
‘Pressure tactic’
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar criticised the Pune police commissioner over the FIR against protesting students, alleging that the case contained fabricated claims and glaring errors.
In a post on X, Pawar said, “Pune Police Commissioner sir, how many lies will you tell? How many false FIRs will you file?”
Pawar claimed that Rishikesh Gangurde, Omkar Patil, Gajanan Shelke, Somnath Chavan and Sanket Kanse were not present at Indulal Complex on October 1, when the protest began, as they were in their native villages, yet police allegedly showed them at the protest site.
Describing the action as a government “pressure tactic”, Pawar said the students would not be intimidated. He said the offences were bailable and that a large team of lawyers had been deployed.
“Instead of filing such false cases, the government should remove the corrupt Bhimanvar (MPSC chairman) from his post,” Pawar said.
“If you have so much enthusiasm for false cases, cancel the students’ cases and register cases against me,” he added.
