The Delhi Police Crime Branch has registered a fresh FIR to investigate the role of 2,873 people with criminal records who were identified during violence at the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march in Delhi, officials said. The case follows a September 1 Supreme Court order that allowed the Centre and Delhi Police to separately investigate the individuals while quashing FIRs against protesters who participated in the demonstrations.
Investigators will establish whether the identified people were present at the protest site, examine their criminal antecedents and determine whether they had any association with student outfits involved in the agitation. The Crime Branch will also investigate whether any of them led or instigated the mob during clashes that took place as the march moved from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament.
Several protesters were injured during the violence. The Delhi Police had earlier said that approximately 200 police personnel, including senior officers, were also injured. Investigations into cases linked to the clashes had previously been transferred to the Crime Branch and the Special Cell.
Police teams have examined CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-camera footage, mobile data and other digital evidence to establish the roles of people involved in the violence. The fresh FIR will now provide the framework for examining the specific group identified through the police’s Facial Recognition System during the protest.
The police data cited in the report includes 989 people accused in heinous cases, 101 people named in murder cases and at least 42 people allegedly involved in two or more murder cases. The Indian Express also reported that at least 25 of those identified, who faced allegations including murder, attempted murder, rape and child abuse, were supposed to be in jail.
The development comes ahead of an October 10 protest announced by the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, under the name ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’. The proposed demonstration is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police sources said permission for the protest had not been granted at the time of the report.
According to the sources, local police stations are tracking people with serious criminal antecedents who were detected by the Facial Recognition System during the July protests, particularly those who may be travelling towards Delhi again. A police officer said the purpose was to prevent people from reaching the protest site and disrupting law and order in the area.
The September 1 Supreme Court order remains the basis for the new investigation. The Crime Branch’s next steps will involve verifying the identities and presence of the 2,873 people, examining their alleged links to the protest and determining whether evidence supports charges related to the July violence.
