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Goa Police have registered an FIR over allegations of communal slogans during a protest at Azad Maidan in Panaji. (Img: X)
Panaji: Goa Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified participants of a protest held at Azad Maidan in Panaji on October 11, following allegations that communal slogans were raised during the demonstration.
The case was registered on the complaint of a local resident, who alleged that certain protesters raised slogans targeting a community and that the gathering was intended to disturb public peace and communal harmony.
The police have invoked Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with promoting enmity between different groups and deliberately outraging religious feelings, respectively. The investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the alleged offences.
The demonstration was organised by an affiliate of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest was linked to concerns over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the deletion of voters' names. Videos purportedly showing the raising of communal slogans during the demonstration subsequently circulated on social media, prompting calls for an investigation.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had earlier said that the incident would be investigated and that the government would not tolerate attempts by people from outside the state to disturb communal harmony.
The protest took place despite the authorities declining permission for the proposed gathering at Azad Maidan. The organisers had approached the authorities on October 7 seeking permission to assemble. However, an order issued by the North Goa District Magistrate's office on October 9 rejected the request, citing a report from the Superintendent of Police, North Goa, which did not recommend permitting the assembly.
Police had reportedly cited previous instances of protesters violating conditions imposed by the authorities while considering the request.
Seven participants were detained during the October 11 demonstration. The High Court of Bombay at Goa subsequently directed the police to release them, observing that their detention might not have been legally authorised in the absence of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The FIR has been registered against unidentified individuals, and the police are examining the allegations to establish who was responsible for the purported slogans. The investigation will determine whether the alleged conduct attracts the offences invoked in the FIR. The allegations remain subject to investigation and have not been established as proven offences.
