In Aligarh, police issue notices to 153 people: Face action if violence erupts

Taking note of two incidents of firing at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh, the epicentre of anti-CAA protest now, Aligarh police have put up two door metal detectors on the road leading to the protest site, officials said.

“Today we issued notices to 153 persons (under Section 107/116 of CrPC) to sign a bond to ensure that no violence takes place during the protest,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Aligarh, Akash Kulhary said.

He said besides the women at the sit-in, they have also issued notices to those who are helping the protesters.
Officials said the police began the exercise after they failed to convince people to withdraw the protest. Three FIRs have been lodged in connection with the protest at Aligarh’s Delhi Gate police station over the last six days. The cases have been registered under IPC Sections 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse), 147 (rioting), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 341 (wrongful restrain). No one has been arrested so far..

After failing to convince the people to withdraw the sit-in, the police are learnt to have started identifying protesters, and those who would be present at the site and regularly support them. There are more than 500 protesters at the sit-in, who come from different parts of Aligarh, an officer said. There has been heavy police deployment in the area to avoid any untoward incident.

SSP Kulhary said no one has been arrested since the amount of sentence in charges they have been booked under are less than seven years. A chargesheet would be filed in the case soon, he added.

The first FIR was lodged on January 24 against four named persons and around 150-200 unidentified people for allegedly raising slogans in a group. The second FIR was against eight named people, including three women, and 250-300 unidentified persons – also for raising slogans after organising themselves in group – on January 30. The third case was filed on January 31.

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