Mumbai: The Mumbai police on Saturday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the organisers and 400-500 unidentified persons in connection with an October 2 protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Shivaji Park.
The case has been registered under sections 189 and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 37(1)(3) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act for unlawful assembly, willful disobedience of lawful order issued by public servant, and other offences, a Shivaji Park police station official said.
"No one has been arrested in the case. Further probe is underway," the official said.
The case was lodged on the complaint of a resident of the Shivaji Park area, he added.
Earlier on Friday, Siddhi Deolekar, a resident and advocate, said she lodged a complaint at Shivaji Park Police Station against CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das, and Ratna Singh for allegedly proceeding with the Shivaji Park protest despite denial of permission.
In a post on X, Deolekar said the complaint was filed against CJP leaders Dipke, Ranka, Das and Ratna Singh, the legal affairs head of the Cockroach Janata Party, and others for allegedly proceeding with the protest and gathering a large crowd despite an express denial of permission.
"As a responsible Shivaji Park citizen, I have lodged a complaint against @abhijeet_dipke, @AshutoshRanka, @Saurav Dassss and @whattalawyer at Shivaji Park Police Station for allegedly attempting to proceed with the Shivaji Park Protest and gathering a huge crowd despite express denial of permission and the restrictions flowing from the Hon'ble Bombay High Court's judgment in PIL 116/2009 dated 04.01.2013 and the subsequent Maharashtra Government order," she said.
She also referred to restrictions arising from the Bombay High Court's judgment in PIL 116/2009 dated January 4, 2013, and a subsequent Maharashtra government order.
"This is not 'peaceful protest'. This is an attempt to defy the law under the cover of a political protest," Deolekar said.
She alleged that those claiming to fight for the Constitution were challenging the authority of the Bombay High Court.
She further said that if this conduct is allowed, tomorrow anyone can violate a court-backed restriction, call it a "peaceful activity", and expect the law to look away.
"No ideology, no political campaign and no individual is above the Constitution. No one is above the law. This Protest is an Insult to the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay," she said.
The CJP, under its founder Abhijeet Dipke, had organised a massive protest at Shivaji Park on Friday seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar for alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
