Video footage under scanner to trace rioters

Day after protest, cops go after Kejriwal supporters

A day after the nine-hour long high-voltage drama during the protest led by activist Arvind Kejriwal, police have started investigating and collecting video and CCTV footage and filed five case of rioting with two different police stations against the activists.

After filing FIRs, police are now busy seeking evidence and protesters’ details. Police are planning to approach court directly after collecting evidence against them.  

The biggest challenge before police now is to identify and trace the protesters, who were involved in rioting, damaging public property and assaulting government officials on duty.
Interestingly, police detained around 1,000 Kejriwal supporters on Sunday but many of them wrote their fathers’ names in the record as ‘Anna Hazare’ and address as ‘Jantar Mantar’.

So to trace them, police have sought CCTV and video footage from various channels to identify people involved in rioting, especially those who protested outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Akbar Road.

In an FIR lodged with the Parliament Street police station, police have booked Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh and Neeraj Kumar under seven different sections, including rioting.

They were booked under sections of prevention of damage to public property act, and for assault on public servant which are non-bailable sections, said a police officer.

Five cases have been registered with Tughlak Road and Parliament Street police stations on Monday, naming Kejriwal, Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas in separate FIRs, a senior police official said. The names of Gopal Rai and Neeraj Kumar are mentioned in one of the FIRs.

The activists and other unknown persons were charged under 11 sections of Indian Penal Code related to rioting, not obeying lawful orders, defying prohibitory orders, assaulting government servants, provoking people to riot and a section under Prevention of Damage to Public Property, which is non-bailable.

In one FIR, police said Kejriwal provoked protesters who were marching towards Prime Minister’s residence. His supporters also defied warnings and entered into a scuffle with policemen.

Apart from that, they also punctured tyres of a state-run bus causing traffic jam on the stretch.

According to another FIR, Bhushan, Sisodia and Vishwas provoked people near Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence. Bhushan, Sisodia and Vishwas provoked their supporters and marched towards 10, Janpath. Despite warnings and use of water cannons, the crowd became more agitated and marched forward, said the FIR.