A first information report was filed against an unidentified woman for holding a poster expressing support for jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam during the youth protests at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park last week, the Deccan Herald reported on Tuesday.
On Friday, demonstrations were held in several parts of the country, including Congress-ruled Karnataka, in solidarity with the protests in Delhi against the alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations.
The FIR was filed on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Sulochana, who alleged that the woman was carrying a poster with slogans supporting Khalid and Imam, as well as purportedly abusive text about the Bengaluru Police, the Deccan Herald reported.
The woman had another poster expressing support for the transgender community, The News Minute reported.
The FIR accused the woman of displaying “provocative placards with the intention of inciting unrest and disturbing public peace”.
An unidentified official from Karnataka’s home department told The News Minute that the FIR was registered because of the purportedly abusive slogan about the police.
Earlier, an unidentified woman had claimed that a Bengaluru Police officer snatched a poster with the slogan “Free Umar Khalid” from her, The News Minute reported.
It is unclear whether the FIR has been registered against the same woman.
On Saturday, the police in Goa’s Panaji had detained two persons for holding a placard expressing support for Khalid during a demonstration held in solidarity with the youth protests in Delhi.
Cases against Khalid, Imam
Imam, Khalid and several other activists had been arrested between January 2020 and September 2020 in connection with the communal violence that broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020 between supporters of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it. The violence had left 53 dead and hundreds injured. Most of those killed were Muslims.
The police have claimed that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame the Narendra Modi government and was planned by those who organised the protests against the amended Citizenship Act.
Khalid and Imam are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code.
They have spent nearly six years in jail, without trial. Their petitions for regular bails have been rejected repeatedly.
Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.
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