Bengaluru police have registered an FIR against an unidentified young woman for allegedly displaying placards supporting jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam during a student protest at Freedom Park, claiming the messages were provocative and intended to disturb public peace.
According to the complaint filed by Police Sub-Inspector Sulochana, who was deployed on bandobast duty, the incident took place while a large gathering of students was participating in a demonstration, reported NDTV.
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The woman was allegedly seen holding placards bearing the slogans "Umar Khalid Zindabad", "Sharjeel Imam Zindabad" and "Bengaluru Police Ukkad Le" (also cited in the complaint as "Ukhaad Le BLR Police").
Police said that when officers attempted to approach the woman and seize the placards, fellow protesters allegedly concealed the posters within the crowd, preventing officials from recovering the material or detaining her. The protest otherwise remained peaceful, with the display of the placards prompting police intervention, added the report.
The demonstration was organised by the Karnataka Vidyarthi Sanghatane (KVS) under the leadership of Nagesh Aralukuppe to condemn the alleged police lathi-charge on students in Delhi and demand the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. According to police, around 1,000 to 1,500 people, including members of the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI), participated in the protest.
Investigators later reviewed CCTV footage from Freedom Park along with videos recorded by police personnel deployed on camera duty. Based on the footage, police alleged that the woman deliberately displayed the placards with the intention of provoking the crowd during the demonstration, as per the reports.
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Based on the complaint, Upparpet police registered a case under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot. Police said efforts are underway to identify the woman, and further investigation is ongoing.
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