The Colaba police have filed an FIR against Mehak Mirza Prabhu under section 153 (B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of IPC, for holding a 'Free Kashmir' banner during the protest at the Gateway of India on Monday. Reacting to the FIR registered against her, Prabhu told mid-day, "I am really shocked. The issue has been blown out of proportion."

Prabhu, a storyteller and writer based in the city, has said that she meant to ask for freedom for Kashmiris to express themselves, freedom from the Internet lockdown and didn't mean it should be freed from India. While she apologised for holding the placard, speaking exclusively to mid-day she said, "I wasn't shouting any slogans at all. In fact, I was holding a flower and talking to people about the Internet ban being wrong and that we should extend a hand of peace. To create an entire twitter campaign out of this and put out a completely different narrative, is worrying. No one asked me for my explanation before doing that, and plastered my face all over the Internet, making it unsafe for me."