Plea in SC to Quash FIRs on Posters Slamming Modi’s Vaccine Policy

The petition to quash the FIRs cites the right to freedom of speech and expression.

The posters read: “Modi ji, why did you send vaccines meant for our children abroad?”

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ @DelhiPolice)

A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by advocate Pradeep Kumar Yadav to quash the FIRs against 24 people for putting up posters criticising the Narendra Modi government’s COVID vaccine policy.

The petition cites the right to freedom of speech and expression, as per Bar and Bench, and asks the top court to quash the FIRs against those who put up posters in the national capital.

As many as 24 people have been arrested by four different divisions of the Delhi police, including Eastern Range, East, Central and Northeast, which, as per the plea, implies a coordinated effort for a clampdown by officials, added the report.

The Delhi Police, which reports to the Union Home Ministry, said it had also registered around 24 cases under the Defacement of Public Property Act and Section 188 of the IPC in the matter relating to the posters.

The police received information about the posters and subsequently alerted senior officers of the districts.

The posters, which read ‘Modiji humare bachon ki vaccine videsh kyu bhej diya? (Modiji, why did you send our children’s vaccine abroad?)’, were pasted across various districts in the national capital.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Additional DCP (East district) Sanjay Sehrawat said that four persons from Kalyanpuri – Dalip Lal (35), Shivam Dubey (27), Rahul Tyagi (24) and Rajeev Kumar (19) – had been apprehended by patrolling personnel.

An FIR has been registered under Section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, Section 3 of the Press and Registrations of Books Act, Section 51 (1)(b) of the Delhi Disaster Management Act and sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease danger­ous to life) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC against the four.

“Around 860 posters and 20 banners have been recovered from their possession. During interrogation, they claimed an AAP councillor had asked them to put up the posters. We are verifying the claims and further investigation is on,” the DCP added.

Four of the arrests were made in East Delhi’s Kalyanpuri on Thursday, where, the men claimed, they were putting up the posters on behalf of AAP councillor Dhirender Kumar, according to Delhi Police. The councillor stated that he was not aware of any such allegation against him.

The Tribune reported that three FIRs had been registered in northeast Delhi, where two persons were arrested. Three FIRs were registered in west Delhi and three more in outer Delhi.

Two FIRs were registered in central Delhi, where the police arrested four persons. One FIR was registered in east Delhi and four others were arrested while two were registered in Rohini and two persons were arrested. One FIR was registered in Dwarka, where two persons were arrested and another one was lodged in north Delhi and one person was arrested. He claimed to have received Rs 500 to put up the posters.

(With inputs from Bar and Bench and The Tribune)