Delhi Police registers multiple FIRs over alleged prohibitory order violations in Connaught Place

Delhi Police on Saturday registered multiple First Information Reports FIRs over alleged violations of prohibitory orders in Connaught Place and other parts of New Delhi during protests on Friday Police officials warned that repeat offenders would face actionAccording to police the FIRs were registered for violations of restrictions imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita BNSS Police said announcements were made asking people to disperse but crowds gathered around Connaught Place despite the restrictionsFIRs follow Tiranga rally near Central ParkThe action follows a proposed Tiranga rally organised by the Cockroach Janata Party CJP near Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday amid heightened security in the national capitalCJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was arrested in connection with the partyrsquos lsquoLehra Do Tirangarsquo rally and was scheduled to be produced before a Special Executive Magistrate SEM court on SaturdayldquoAbhijeet is arrested and will be produced before the SEM court His location is still unknown and lawyers havent met himrdquo CJPrsquos head of legal affairs Ratna Singh said in a post on XAISA leader Neha Bora released after detentionAll India Studentsrsquo Association AISA leader Neha Bora was also detained near Mandi House as police tightened security across central Delhi She was subsequently released according to reportsThe detentions came amid tensions following the arrest and judicial remand of two CJP coconvenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka They were sent to five days of judicial custody after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar and unfurling the National Flag on October 13 a day after the designated protest site was denotifiedDipke detained for second time in a weekFridayrsquos detention was the second time in a week that Dipke had been taken into custody by Delhi Police He was earlier detained shortly after arriving in the national capital from Mumbai to participate in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged manipulation of electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision SIRAhead of Fridayrsquos proposed rally police had served Dipke a notice stating that Connaught Place was not a designated protest site and that the New Delhi Municipal Council NDMC had not granted permission for the proposed marchThe notice issued under Section 163 of the BNSS warned that organising the procession or assembling a crowd would violate the prohibitory orders in force in the areaPolice distinguish flag display from unauthorised assemblyDuring an interaction with police personnel at his residence Dipke questioned the grounds for his detention asking ldquoWhat kind of accusation have you levelled against merdquo When told he could not travel to New Delhi and was being detained he questioned which law he had violatedPolice clarified that waving the National Flag was not prohibited However they said organising an unauthorised procession or gathering a crowd in violation of restrictions could invite legal action Dipke was also reminded of the provisions of the Flag Code concerning the respectful display of the TricolourWith inputs from IANS