Guwahati: The Mumbai Police have started issuing notices to nearly 300 people, including several students, a day after registering seven FIRs against those who participated in protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
The notices, sent via WhatsApp in the early hours of Tuesday, were issued under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The provision requires individuals accused of offences carrying a punishment of less than seven years to appear before the investigating officer when summoned, instead of being arrested. Once a chargesheet is filed, the accused must appear before the court, where bail is generally granted on furnishing a personal bond.
With the registration of seven fresh FIRs on Monday, the total number of cases linked to the NEET protests in Mumbai has risen to 12. More than 900 people have now been named or included as accused. One of the FIRs, filed after Saturday’s protest at Shivaji Park, refers to “500 to 600” unidentified participants.
The FIRs invoke bailable offences, including unlawful assembly and disobedience of lawful orders, which carry a maximum punishment of two years imprisonment.
According to police, the Worli police station registered an FIR against 21 people, Sion against 39, Kalachowky against 22, Bhoiwada against 30, Mahim against 100, Dadar against 70, while Wadala TT police named one individual along with 30 unidentified persons. Officials said all the cases will be transferred to the Shivaji Park police station for further investigation.
Earlier, three FIRs had been registered in connection with Saturday’s protest at Shivaji Park, which was attended by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Two additional FIRs were also lodged in south Mumbai over demonstrations allegedly held without police permission.
A senior police officer said cases were registered because protesters assembled despite not receiving permission to hold the demonstrations.
Police sources said the strategy was aimed at preventing protesters from converging at a single location, as happened in Delhi, where dispersing large crowds became more challenging.