The Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against one member of the Delhi unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and one member of the Delhi unit of the Bajrang Dal for organising a Shobha Yatra on Hanuman Jayanti in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on the evening of 16 April “without permission of the police.”
The FIR has been registered under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complainant in the matter is a Delhi Police head constable.
DCP (Northwest) Usha Rangani said that the first two processions in the morning and the afternoon had permission from the police but the one in the evening did not have permission. VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal, however, claimed that "the VHP had all due permissions, and the police personnel accompanied the procession."
The FIR has been filed against Prem Sharma, the zila sewa pramukh of the VHP, and Brahm Prakash, the co-department secretary of the Bajrang Dal.
What Does the FIR Say?
The FIR, accessed by The Quint, states that on 15 April, Sharma and Prakash “filed an application at the Jahangirpuri police station for carrying out a procession. They were informed that for such kind of permission, they need to seek permission from the DCP Northwest. On 16 April, without any permission, they gathered people and carried out a procession illegally. There was a possibility of a tussle between two communities.”
The FIR further states that “it was then found out that there was no permission granted from the police station. Prem Sharma and Brahm Prakash gathered all people illegally and took out procession without taking permission… Legal action against section 188 of the IPC should be taken against them.”
Delhi Police and VHP's Differing Accounts & Two 'Permission Letters'
VHP's Bansal told The Quint on Monday evening:
“If we did not have permission from the police, then why did the police personnel accompany us during the Shobha Yatra? Why did they protect our workers from attack? The Vishwa Hindu Parishad took due permission.”
On Monday evening, DCP (northwest) Rangani said, “A case under section 188 of the IPC has been registered against organisers for carrying out procession (in the evening of 16 April in the area of Jahangirpuri) without any permission, and one accused person has joined the investigation.”
She said that the “other two processions which were carried out in the morning and afternoon on 16 April in the area of Jahangirpuri had due permission.”
Bansal, meanwhile, told The Quint that “the VHP workers of the area had sought permission from the police ahead of the programme.”
He said, “It appears the top bosses of the Delhi Police are not fully aware of their own records because if they were aware, they would know that they themselves gave us permission. It appears the Delhi Police has bowed down before Islamic Jihadis.”
He said that “the VHP does everything legally and had sought all necessary permissions. If any VHP member is picked up illegally by Delhi Police, the VHP won’t stay quiet.”
Sharma told The Indian Express that “we received permission from Delhi Police from two police stations.”
It should be noted that two letters written on the VHP letterhead seeking security and traffic arrangement during the Shobha Yatra have been doing the rounds. The letters, as per The Indian Express, bear the police stamp and were allegedly submitted at the Mahendra Park police station and the Jahangirpuri police station.
Delhi Police Files FIR Against VHP, Bajrang Dal but Deletes Message on Media Group
It is to be noted that on Monday evening, the DCP in a WhatsApp group with media personnel had stated that the FIR was filed against VHP and the Bajrang Dal Delhi Prant.
In the message posted by her on the WhatsApp group with media personnel, she had written, “A case under vide FIR no 441/22 dated 17/04/22 u/s 188 IPC, PS Jahangirpuri has been registered against organisers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal Delhi Prant, Mukherjee Nagar Jila, Jhandewala for carrying out procession (in the evening of 16/04/22 in the area of PS Jahangirpuri) without any permission and one accused person namely Prem Sharma, Jila Sewa Pramukh, Vishwa Hind Parishad has been arrested.”
The message was deleted and followed up with another message on the FIR but this time there was no mention of the VHP, the Bajrang Dal Delhi Prant or Prem Sharma. The message mentioned that “one accused has joined the investigation.”
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