Dalit agitation: 500 booked for blocking roads

GURUGRAM: Several of those who took to the streets on Monday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to amend the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, have been booked for blocking traffic at two key junctions in the city — Rajiv Chowk and on Faridabad link road. The two FIRs were filed at

Civil Lines

and

Sector 40

police stations, against nearly 500 protesters.

Police said they received a complaint by the naib tehsildar, who was the duty magistrate at Rajiv Chowk, about the traffic blockade on the expressway around noon, on whose basis an FIR was registered, naming four persons, including Dalit leaders

Satpal and Anil Tanwar

, as well as over 400 others, at Civil Lines police station.

The Civil Lines SHO said the FIR was registered under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint) of the IPC and section 8B of the National Highways Act, 1956. According to the SHO, the complaint says the protesters were repeatedly asked to move from the spot by the officer on duty, but they did not, blocking traffic and violating the law.

A similar complaint was lodged at Sector 40 police station by an officer on duty which said the people of Kanhai blocked Faridabad link road in front of Kanhai temple, using bamboos, sofas and stones, and did not budge despite being asked to do so.

An FIR was filed based on the complaint, naming Amit, Suresh, Geetanand, Rinku, Trilok, Aniket and Rakesh, along with 60-70 others, making a special mention of women protesters. It was registered under sections 143, 145 and 149 (all related to unlawful assembly), 109 (abetment) and 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line) of the IPC, said a police spokesperson.

Satpal Tanwar said, “We are not scared of FIRs. The Supreme Court has maintained its original stance, and has not reversed its decision. We will return to the streets and block the highway again, if necessary.”

Tanwar added this was their last resort as they had also filed a PIL and exhausted all legal resources, forcing them to take to the streets. “We’ll also join the investigation, if necessary, but won’t back down in the fight to get our rights.”

On Monday, a group of Dalit protesters marched through Old Gurugram’s markets and shut shops before staging a sit-in and blocking Rajiv Chowk for more than 20 minutes.

Another group blocked Faridabad link road close to Ardee City, apart from blocking Huda City Centre for a few minutes.