[Reader-list] arrests in delhi

[Ravi Sundaram]

This is a report of the arrests in Delhi yesterday, a fairly standard 
campaign that was going on against the war. Gives a sense of the national 
security paranoia now gripping the local police. Better reports in the 
Delhi edition of the Hindu and the Indian express (alas, not on-line) The 
arrested are now in Tihar jail.

Ravi


6 HELD IN CITY FOR ANTI-US PROTESTS (Asian Age)

New Delhi, Oct. 8

Six persons, Sunil, Gurmeet, Naveen, Sunil, Shehzad and Jeeban were 
arrested by the northeast district police on charges of protesting against 
the US attacks in Afghanistan, the banning of the Students Islamic Movement 
of India and for allegedly making anti-India slogans on Monday.
All of them are students. It is learnt that three of arrested are students 
of Delhi University.
It is learnt that six persons were allegedly arrested by the Bhajanpura 
police around 11 am, reports our correspondent.
The arrested persons claimed to be members of the All-India People's 
Resistance Forum and Democratic Students' Forum. They were arrested by the 
police for distributing pamphlets opposing the ban on the Students' Islamic 
Movement of India and the aggression by the United States on Afghanistan on 
Monday in north Delhi.

Police sources said that the accused persons assimilated in a small group 
near Bhajanpura flouting banners, pamphlets and placards. They also 
allegedly distributed the pamphlets among the passers-by.

The AIPF is a civil rights' organisation in Andhra Pradesh and the members 
of the organisation had come to Delhi to hold protests.

Around 50-60 people belonging to the organisation were distributing 
pamphlets when the local police took them into custody. It is reported that 
earlier they were booked under preventive detention for breach of peace. 
The charges under which they were detained earlier were Section 107/ 155 of 
the CRPC.

Police sources revealed that legal experts were contacted and all of them 
were formally arrested. A case under Sections 153 A/ 155 B of the IPC were 
registered against the persons for promoting animosity amongst different 
communities and anti national activities.