Security deployment remained heavy days after the clashes at Jahangirpuri. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna) The Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against two men from the Delhi unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal for organising a shobha yatra to mark Hanuman Jayanti in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on April 16. Communal clashes broke out in Jahangirpuri following the shobha yatra and the police have arrested more than 20 people, including minors, on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly.
The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) at Jahangirpuri police station after a head constable of the same police station filed a complaint. “On April 15, Prem Sharma, the zila sewa pramukh of the VHP, and Braham Prakash, co-department secretary, filed an application – DD (daily diary) no 83A in the Jahangirpuri police station for carrying out a procession. They have been informed that for such permission, they should take permission from DCP (northwest),” the FIR states.
The FIR further states: “On April 16, without any permission, they gathered people and willingly carried out a procession “illegally”. There was a possibility of some tussle between two communities and it came to (the) fore from the police station that they did not take any permission. Prem Sharma and Braham Prakash personally gathered all the people illegally and without taking permission, they organised a procession, which is a violation of a notification issued by ACP (Jahangirpuri) on April 1.. Legal action under IPC Section 188 should be taken against them.”
Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Usha Rangnani had said: “A case under IPC Section 188 has been registered against organisers for carrying out a procession on the evening of April 16 in Jahangirpuri area without any permission. One accused person has joined the investigation. Further investigation is in progress. The other two processions which were carried out in morning and afternoon on April 16 in Jahangirpuri area had due permission.”
Meanwhile, the organisers, which include the Delhi unit of the VHP and Bajrang Dal, claimed they had received permission. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said they will go to the court against the police for “framing” their workers. “We never organise any rally without permission. This time too, we got permission from the Delhi Police. Someone should ask them why they made security arrangements for our shobha yatra if we did not have permission…”
The Indian Express accessed two letters submitted by the VHP’s Delhi branch (Mukherjee Nagar district) on April 14 to Jahangirpuri and Mahendra Park police stations, both of which had a police stamp. The letters, which sought security and traffic management during the shobha yatra to mark Hanuman Jayanti, were unsigned but mentioned the name of Braham Prakash, co-department secretary.
Prakash said: “… I did not apply for permission… another party worker, Prem Sharma, did. But we did have proper permission for the procession.”
Prem Sharma said: “We received permission from Delhi Police from two police stations.” On claims by the organisers that they received permission, the Delhi Police spokesperson declined to comment and said a statement had already been issued in this regard.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
