Who okayed the procession?

TODAY?S INCIDENT of firing at Phoolbagh crossing is an eye-opener for the police and administrative officials. Despite imposition of Section 144, it is not known how Samajwadi Party members took out such a huge vehicle procession to welcome Surendra Mohan Agarwal and who sought permission from the district administration for it.

TODAY’S INCIDENT of firing at Phoolbagh crossing is an eye-opener for the police and administrative officials. Despite imposition of Section 144, it is not known how Samajwadi Party members took out such a huge vehicle procession to welcome Surendra Mohan Agarwal and who sought permission from the district administration for it.

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Section 144 strictly prohibits people to gather in a group of four or more and carry firearms, but the SP workers violated the law to take out a massive procession. Some party workers were even carried firearms. Even, the SHO and other police personnel, who were monitoring the procession, remained mute spectators to the firing incident.

Interestingly, even after the incident, the police were groping in the dark as to how many supporters were carrying firearms. Some of the officials even admitted that it was a felony committed by both the party workers and officials.

What is more surprising is that the procession was allowed to cover several mixed population areas and even a minute’s slip up could have been disastrous.

The Mall Road, where the mishap occurred, is one of the busiest areas in the city. The geography of the area is such that it would have been difficult to handle any untoward incident.

Some senior police officials feel that Section 144 exists only on paper as neither people nor the police bother to honour it. Commenting on violation of Section 144, DIG Kanpur Zone Daljit Singh Chawdhary, told HT, “Police have taken the cognizance of today’s incident and if in future anyone is found violating Section 144 they will be dealt with firmly.”