Mumbai: Civil society groups in Mumbai have alleged that two activists were detained for more than three hours at the MIDC police station in Andheri on Thursday in connection with a protest scheduled to be held in New Delhi on October 10.
The activists said they were questioned about whether they planned to travel to Delhi to participate in the protest and were asked not to travel anywhere on Friday. The MIDC police, however, denied that the two were detained, saying they had been called to the station for an inquiry.
Activists recount police questioning
Salim Saboowala, 67, a retired resident of Marol, said he had been receiving calls from the police station since October 2.
“On Tuesday, they called me to ask whether I was travelling to Delhi. I was with my brother, who was unwell. They came to my building at noon on Thursday and asked me to come downstairs, where they were waiting in plain clothes. I hurriedly had some tea and biscuits at home and was taken to the police station on a scooter,” said Saboowala, who has regularly participated in citizens’ protests on civic and political issues.
Saboowala said he later saw Feroze Mithiborwala, another local resident and activist associated with the group Hum Bharat Ke Log, being brought to the police station.
“Though they treated us well and offered tea and dry fruits, I asked them whether we had done anything criminal. I was not planning to go to Delhi anyway. I do not have any criminal record and it is not fair to call me to the police station,” he said.
Mithiborwala said he was asked not to leave Mumbai for the next two days.
Civil society group raises rights concerns
Tushar Gandhi of Hum Bharat Ke Log said Mithiborwala and Saboowala had repeatedly been called to the police station or received calls from the police over the past two years because of their participation in public protests.
“This is a clear infringement of their fundamental rights to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution,” the group said.
Police deny detention allegations
A senior officer at the MIDC police station denied that the two had been detained.
“The two were called for a routine inquiry. How can we detain anyone? We only questioned them,” the officer said.
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