Continued from page u0010 u000f THE Mumbai Bagh protest at Nagpadau2019s Morland Road entered the u0005 u0004 th day on Wednesday. Women Police Constables ( WPC) along with male police officers have been stationed at the entrance of the barricaded stretch to take women protestersu2019 details.
Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhinash Kumar said, u201c We have already registered a case against the protesting women. Whoever joins them to agitate will be held equally responsible for violating the law.u201d u201c Since the protesters are hijab- clad women, their identity cannot be established.
It is why we are taking the contact number, name and address of all women entering the protest at Nagpada. It will help us trace the accused and add their details to the charge sheet,u201d Kumar added.
u201c It was getting tough to establish their identity as all the protesters are women wearing burkhas. In case of any emergency, their contact details will be helpful in tracing them,u201d said an officer attached to the Nagpada police station.
A woman protester, requesting anonymity, said, u201c I was asked to give my name before entering Mumbai Bagh on Saturday. Later, when I was among the crowd, a plainclothes police officer called me and made me sign a document. He said it is a notice under Section u0005 . . ( unlawful assembly) of the IPC. He did not let me contact a lawyer.u201d The woman later approached Senior Police Inspector of Nagpada police, Shalini Sharma. u201c She asked me to contact Mumbai Bagh activists instead of asking her,u201d the woman said.
The woman was approached by a plainclothes officer again during her next visit. u201c I smiled at him and said, u2018 Sir, mere paas yeh wala notice already haiu2019. He left without saying anything,u201d the woman said.
Mubashira Qureshi, a . . - year- old Sociology student at Somaiya College, said, u201c My contact details such as full address, mobile number, what I study and where, etc, have been taken by Mumbai police as they told me that if I have to protest at Mumbai Bagh, I need to sign a document and give them contact details.u201d Though the police have not evicted protesters, last Friday, a case against . . . protesters was registered under Sections . . u0005 ( wrongful restraint), . . ( common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the BMC Act at Nagpada police station for obstructing civic work.
A senior IPS officer said most of the protesters are local residents.
u201c Even if we evict them, they will unlawfully assemble again to resume their protest. So we are only watching who all join them. Our officers in plain clothes are also video- recording the protest. The footage will help us identify people if they utter anything objectionable or chant anti- national slogans,u201d the IPS officer said.
u201c Prominent leaders, including a few women from Mumbai Bagh, met me four days ago. I said that their protest is unlawful as they donu2019t have permission. They promised to call it off. I had warned about the notices under Section u0005 . . , IPC,u201d Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told mid- day.
u201c Mumbai police are doing their job and if the protest is not called off peacefully, protesters will be forcefully evicted,u201d he added.
Meanwhile, . . - year- old student- activist Urvashi Chudawala, booked by Azad Maidan police for sedition, was granted interim relief by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday.
u2018 Eviction wonu2019t work so monitoring womenu2019 Senior o u001f cer says if evicted, women will re- assemble at some other place for protest, best strategy is to record everything Burkha- clad women submit their details with Mumbai police at Mumbai Bagh on Tuesday. PIC/ ASHISH RAJE Activist Medha Patkar attended the Mumbai Bagh protest on Tuesday.
PIC/ ATUL KAMBLE
