Delhi Police have registered more than 20 FIRs and detained 60 people after a protest by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) workers and supporters around Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday, 10 October, according to a report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The FIRs were registered at different police stations in connection with alleged clashes with police personnel, vandalism and stone-pelting during the demonstration. Police said the cases also include alleged violations of Section 163, the preventive order cited in the report.
All the FIRs have initially been registered against unidentified people. Delhi Police said CCTV footage and the investigation would be used to identify those allegedly involved, after which their names could be added as accused in the cases.
According to the police account cited by the report, 60 people who had arrived in the New Delhi district to participate in the demonstration had been detained by the morning of 11 October. Police said none of those detained was a student and identified them as supporters of the CJP and the Aam Aadmi Party.
The action follows a protest held in and around Jantar Mantar, one of the capital’s designated demonstration sites and a location where large gatherings can affect nearby roads, security arrangements and access to central government offices. The report did not provide details of the specific demands raised by the protesters or the number of police personnel deployed at the site.
The use of unidentified-accused FIRs means that the police investigation remains ongoing. The eventual charges against individuals will depend on the evidence collected, including CCTV footage and other material gathered during the inquiry. The report did not state whether anyone had been formally arrested or whether the detained people had been released or presented before a court.
The police action is also separate from any finding of guilt. FIRs record allegations and begin the investigative process; responsibility for specific offences will have to be established through investigation and subsequent legal proceedings. No response from the organisers or the detained individuals was included in the supplied report.
Delhi Police’s next stated step is to examine available footage and investigation findings to identify people suspected of involvement in the alleged clashes, vandalism and stone-pelting.
