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11 RLD leaders booked for protest against lathi charge on Jayant Chaudhary
Party leaders and workers had staged a dharna on National Highway 58 and blocked movement of traffic to protest against the assault on Jayant Choudhary and party supporters in Hathras on Sunday.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against 11 Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leaders and 190 unidentified people for staging protests on Monday against the assault on party leader Jayant Choudhary and his supporters in Hathras.
The police had cane-charged RLD and Samajwadi Party workers in Hathras on Sunday after they allegedly broke the police barricade to reach the Hathras gangrape victim’s village in large numbers. Video footage showed cops raining lathis as RLD cadre formed a protective ring around Jayant Chaudhary.
In the first FIR, cases have been filed against RLD district president Rahul Deo, SC/ST cell president Narendra Khajuri and 40 others under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 of the IPC and violation of Section 144 of the CrPC at Pallavpuram police station.
Party leaders and workers had staged a dharna on National Highway 58 and blocked movement of traffic to protest against the assault on Jayant Choudhary and party supporters in Hathras on Sunday. The protesters also tried to burn the effigy of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
SP (city) Akhilesh Narayan Singh said the protesters hurled a fireball towards the SHO of Pallavpuram, which caused burn injuries on his neck. They also blocked traffic and therefore a case was registered under Section 307 of the IPC.
RLD leader Narendra Khajuri and district president Rahul Deo rejected the allegations of the police, saying: “They have registered cases on serious charges to suppress the voice of dissent. But their misuse of power to please political bosses will not pressurise us to sit quiet.” They claimed that there was a scuffle between protesters and cops over burning effigy, but no one intended to hurt anyone.
Meanwhile, another case was registered against RLD leaders Sachin Choudhary, Kanhaiya and 150 unknown protesters in the Civil Lines police station. These people had staged a protest outside the divisional commissioner’s office in Meerut on Sunday and burnt an effigy of the chief minister. They demanded the arrest of cops who assaulted Jayant Choudhary and his supporters in Hathras.
Suraj Rai, circle officer of Civil Lines area, said a case had been registered on various charges after identifying protesters through video clips. “A few of them have been named,” he said.
