Vikrant Shekhawat : Oct 05, 2020, 07:29 PM
Lucknow: An FIR has been registered against Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and 400 others for violating Section 144 of CrPC while visiting the kin of the Hathras woman who died after she was allegedly gangraped and brutally assaulted by four upper caste men last week.The Azad Samaj Party leader and his supporters had created a law and order situation as they tried to enter the village on Sunday, police said.“Police told Azad and his supporters that due to the Epidemic Diseases Act and implementation of Section 144 in the area, a large gathering was likely to facilitate the spread of coronavirus. The police told them that the movement of ambulances and emergency service would be impacted with the gathering. But the supporters sat on the roads despite orders near Sasni Police Station,” the FIR read.The case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 188 ( violation of public order), 269 (actions spreading disease) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act.Azad on Sunday demanded a time bound inquiry by a retired judge of the Supreme Court into the Hathras incident and also sought protection for the kin of the deceased.After his visit, he told reporters: “The family is not safe in the village. When (actor) Kangana Ranaut can get Y-category security, why can’t this family? Mahapanchayats are being held every 2 km in favour of the accused. There is stone-pelting happening. I want to take the family with me as they are not safe here.”A mahapanchayat was held in favour of the accused close to the victim’s house in the compound of an ex MLA’s residence on Sunday. So far, no FIR has been filed against the gathering of approximately 50 people.