The Delhi Police has registered 27 FIRs since October 2 in connection with multiple Opposition protests in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, invoking offences ranging from obstruction of public servants to sexual harassment.
Protests have intensified in New Delhi over the past few days, with Opposition parties stepping up their campaign against Kumar following a recent report that accused him of taking arbitrary decisions regarding the voter roll revision, rejecting dissenting views by two fellow members of the three-member panel.
The FIRs have been registered against the protesters across six police stations and at least four of the sections constitute non-bailable offences.
While 22 FIRs invoked the common-intention provision, 18 cases included charges of disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant. Obstructing public servants and assault or use of criminal force against public servants are also charged in 17 FIRs each. Charges of assault or use of criminal force against women and sexual harassment have also been invoked in FIRs related to the protests.
Delhi Police sources had earlier said that at least five FIRs had been registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders for allegedly obstructing public servants during their two-day protests. Several Congress leaders, as well as party workers who participated in the protests, have also been named in the FIRs.
The police have said they are examining multiple mobile phone videos in which their personnel, including women police officers and constables, were allegedly assaulted.
The videos are being analysed to identify the protesters allegedly involved in the incidents and establish the sequence of events, the sources had said.