Jantar Mantar protest: Of the 2,873 people who were present in and around the Jantar Mantar protest site of the CJP in Delhi, over 980 were found to have past criminal records.
They were allegedly involved in cases of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, rape, kidnapping, crimes against women, illegal arms and drugs, official sources said.
A senior police officer involved in the investigation told PTI that police analysis has revealed that at least 101 people were previously involved in murder cases, 62 in attempt to murder cases, 284 in robbery and dacoity cases, 229 in Arms Act cases, 135 in snatching cases, 19 in kidnapping cases and 67 in cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
He said 61 of these people were involved in rape cases, 25 in cases related to outraging the modesty of women or molestation, while six were booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The verification was carried out against the backdrop of clashes during the CJP’s “Chalo Sansad” march.
Violent clashes broke out on July 20
According to police, more than 65 protesters and over 200 policemen were injured in the clashes. Protesters alleged that security forces used pellet guns against peaceful demonstrators. According to sources, the verification was initiated after a large crowd gathered in and around Jantar Mantar and the subsequent violence during the march on July 20th.
Information from police databases
He said the exercise was aimed at identifying people with criminal involvement and assessing the nature of individuals visiting or moving around the protest site. The source said these findings are part of a larger investigation conducted through police databases and “dossier verification” systems.
According to police, the criminal records of 2,873 individuals were checked, and 989 of them were found to have prior serious criminal convictions. This indicates that more than one-third
of those checked had a police record. Police say the verification was based on existing criminal databases and dossier records maintained by various district police units and other law enforcement agencies.
Analysis revealed that 42 out of 101 people involved in murder cases have been involved in two or more criminal cases, while 12 have a criminal history involving 10 or more cases, indicating repeated involvement in serious crimes,” the source said. Similarly, 25 out of 62 people involved in attempt to murder cases have two or more criminal cases registered against them.
More than 60 people involved in rape cases
Police records revealed that 284 people had previously been involved in cases of robbery and dacoity. Of them, 155 had been involved in two or more criminal cases, while 31 had a criminal history of 10 or more cases, indicating that many were habitual offenders. Investigations also found 61 people involved in rape cases. Police records revealed that eight of them had been involved in two or more criminal cases.
According to the source, six of those facing charges of crimes against women have two or more criminal cases registered against them. The verification also revealed extensive involvement in crimes related to illegal weapons. Police records revealed that nine of those involved in drug crimes have been involved in two or more criminal cases. The source said, “The purpose of this investigation was to identify the criminal background of people present at and around the protest site and to assist investigators probing the violence that broke out during the movement.” Police sources said that these findings will form part of the investigation into the violence that occurred during the protests.