‘Only police were provoked’: Civil rights group slams Bengaluru FIR over Umar Khalid posters

According to the complaint, the officer noticed a young woman displaying posters featuring slogans such as “Umar Khalid Zindabad,” and “Sharjeel Imam Zindabad”. When police personnel approached, some protesters allegedly concealed the posters.

Following an inspection of CCTV footage and video recordings made by police camera teams, officers alleged that the woman deliberately displayed “provocative” posters to disturb public peace. The case was subsequently registered under the charge of giving provocation with intent to cause a riot.

‘Regressive shift’ in approach’

In a statement, PUCL-K called the FIR an “ill-conceived and disproportionate response” to constitutionally protected political expression. The organisation noted that the complaint contained no material to suggest the posters caused violence or were likely to incite a riot, adding that “it appears the police were the only ones provoked enough to register an FIR”.

PUCL-K said that political expression, even when it crosses the boundaries of polite discourse, should be addressed politically rather than through criminal law. It maintained that demanding the release of Khalid and Imam, both of whom remain undertrials, falls within the guarantee of free speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

The group also recalled that the Bengaluru police had previously permitted a public discussion on ‘Umar Khalid and His World’, noting that the current action marks a regressive shift in approach.

Highlighting a trend of increasing criminalisation of political dissent, PUCL-K also cited the recent arrest of a shop worker over a video reel targeting the Prime Minister. It urged the police to drop the FIRs and uphold constitutional freedoms.

Both Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam face charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 North East Delhi riots.