The Ernakulam Town South police booked the organiser of a solidarity programme led by rapper Vedan in support of the CJP protest in Delhi, alleging that the event obstructed public traffic in Kochi, on Thursday, July 23.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Vignesh G Pillai, an associate of rapper Vedan and the organiser of the programme, has been named as the first accused. The FIR also lists 99 other "identifiable persons" who allegedly participated in the gathering.
The case has been registered under Sections 285 (obstructing a public way), 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), and 190 (unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police registered the case suo motu based on alleged violations observed during the protest.
The protest was held around 5 pm on July 22 on the public road on the western side of Central Park in Panampilly Nagar, Ernakulam. According to the FIR, participants organised the programme without prior permission despite having received a police notice, and allegedly ignored the directions contained in the notice. The police further alleged that the gathering intentionally caused obstruction to commuters and vehicular movement on the road.
Even though Vedan (Hirandas Murali) addressed the event, he has not been named as an accused in the FIR. Instead, the case presently names Vignesh and 99 others whose identities are yet to be formally established.
Police said they are in the process of identifying everyone who took part in the programme. As participants are identified, their names will be incorporated into the case in place of the presently listed "identifiable persons."
The FIR states that officers on patrol reached the spot near Central Park and found around 100 people staging the protest on the public road without prior permission. It alleges that the gathering disrupted traffic and that those present did not provide satisfactory details when questioned by the police, following which the case was registered.