Bengaluru Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified young woman for displaying placards in support of jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam during a student protest at Freedom Park. Both Khalid and Imam are accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
The protest was organised by student groups and saw the participation of around 1,000 to 1,500 people, including members of several student organisations. The demonstrators were protesting the police lathi charge on students in Delhi and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Placards displayed during the protest
According to the complaint filed by a woman police sub-inspector who was on bandobast duty, the incident took place between 5 pm and 5.30 pm on Friday, 24th July, while protesters were raising slogans.
The complaint says a young woman was seen holding placards carrying messages such as “Umar Khalid Zindabad,” “Sharjeel Imam Zindabad,” and “Uproot BLR Police.”
The police officer stated that she tried to move through the crowd to seize the placards. However, before she could reach the woman, other protesters reportedly hid them. A search was later carried out in the surrounding area, but the placards could not be found because of the large gathering.
CCTV footage examined
As part of the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from Freedom Park along with recordings captured by cameras used by personnel deployed at the protest.
According to the complaint, the footage showed that an unidentified young woman had intentionally displayed the placards during the protest. Police said the act was seen as an attempt to provoke unrest and disturb public peace.
Police begin investigation
Based on the findings, a formal complaint was filed seeking legal action against the unidentified woman for displaying the placards during what was otherwise a peaceful demonstration.
Police have launched an investigation to identify the woman seen in the footage and are examining the available evidence as part of the case.
