Jharkhand Govt Drops Sedition Charges Against 3,000 CAA Protesters

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that the state administration has recommended dropping the sedition charges slapped against 3,000 people for taking part in a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Wasseypur on Tuesday, 7 January.

“Laws are not made to frighten and silence the people but to instil a feeling of safety in the public. My government will work towards being the voice of the people. We have recommended taking back the sedition cases registered against 3,000 people and also asked for action against the concerned official,” Soren said in a tweet.

“Meanwhile, I also urge the people of Jharkhand that it is their state and abiding the law and order is their duty,” he added, along with the letter asking for action against the official and dropping the sedition case.

In the case, the Superintendent of Police wrote a letter addressed to the concerned police officer, directing him to move a correction letter before the court, to obilterate Section 124A of IPC from the FIR.

On 7 January, at around 7, around 3,000 unidentified people, along with seven persons in Dhanbad were booked under Sections 143, 145, 149, 189, 186, 188, 290, 291, 336, 153A, 153B, and 124A of IPC, according to LiveLaw.

They were accused of unlawful assembly at public places to demonstrate against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The police had lodged the FIR on a written complaint by Dhanbad circle officer, Prashant Kumar Laiq, who alleged that the people blocked roads and shouted slogans that were hurtful to religious sentiments.

Moreover, stating that the sedition charge appears to be have been registered without an in-depth knowledge of the situation, the SP has issued a notice to the SHO of Dhanbad asking him to show cause within three days.

(With inputs from LiveLaw, ANI)