Mumbai bans protests, gatherings after NEET paper leak demonstrations

Prohibitory orders will come into effect across Mumbai from Thursday and remain in force until August 6, restricting the movement and unlawful assembly of five or more persons in view of recent demonstrations held in parts of the city in support of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) movement at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The prohibitory orders were issued by the Mumbai Police on Tuesday as a preventive measure to maintain law and order in the city following the recent protests.

The development comes after Mumbai Police registered eight FIRs against nearly 900 persons for participating in demonstrations organised in solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) campaign over the NEET paper leak.

According to the police order, inputs received from various sources indicate a "likelihood of breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity" and a "grave danger to human lives and loss of properties," prompting authorities to impose restrictions across the city.

Police deployment has also been intensified at sensitive locations throughout Mumbai to prevent fresh gatherings, demonstrations or any law-and-order situation during the period the prohibitory orders remain in force.

The restrictions have been imposed under Section 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, which empowers the police to prohibit certain acts in order to prevent disorder and maintain public peace.

Under the order, carrying arms or explosives has been prohibited. The restrictions also ban the exhibition of persons, corpses or effigies, along with public utterance of slogans, singing of songs, playing of music and delivery of speeches or harangues. The order further prohibits the use of gestures, mimetic representations and the preparation, display or dissemination of pictures, symbols, placards or any other objects which, in the opinion of the competent authority, may offend decency or morality, undermine the security of the State or tend to overthrow the State.

Police have also warned that if any protest is organised without prior permission, action may be initiated against those involved. In such cases, FIRs can be registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) or Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act for disobedience of a lawful order, besides invoking Sections 189 and 190 of the BNS relating to unlawful assembly.

The prohibitory orders have been imposed against the backdrop of the violent protests that erupted on July 20, when thousands of supporters of the CJP, along with students, marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leak.

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