New Delhi: The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police Thursday lodged a fresh First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the 20 July violence during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in the Capital.
“The Supreme Court had quashed 17 FIRs and permitted the Delhi Police to file one FIR to probe the violence. Our investigation has begun following that order,” said a senior officer.
The investigation’s primary focus will be to identify if the violence was “premeditated”. The officer added that the sequence of events, roles of those present and the messaging that occurred will be reconstructed.
The FIR has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with criminal conspiracy, common intention, assault to public servants, vandalism, and rioting.
The Delhi Police had earlier submitted in an affidavit that they identified 2,873 individuals with prior criminal records through the Facial Recognition System as being present during the 20 July unrest. “We will investigate what role they played, whether they were asked to join the protest or joined by their own volition and participated in violence,” said the officer.
A senior police officer told ThePrint the FIR was lodged to identify “instigators” behind the Central Delhi violence of 20 July. “Several officers on duty were injured, public property was damaged, and government buildings were defaced during the 20 July protest,” said the officer. All this has been taken cognisance of by the police.
Several clashes took place between the police and protesters on 20 July; some involved stone-pelting even as the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force received flak for using pellet guns on unarmed protesters and resorting to teargas and lathi-charges.
The latest FIR comes two days before the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), CJP and several other Left organisations alongside civil society members have called for a ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ to press their demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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