Dadar Police charged around 150 demonstrators, including 50 women, last week for entering the Kabutarkhana in Dadar and pulling down tarpaulin sheets and barricades. The protesters had ignored the Bombay High Court (HC) order that prohibited feeding pigeons at the site.
The demonstrators threw grains to pigeons, shouted slogans, and tore down barricades installed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). On August 6, the protest took place, and by August 10, the BMC had reinstalled barricades to prevent further entry.
Police said the protesters were charged with mischief and unlawful assembly under the Bombay Police Act of 1951 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023. Seven individuals named in the FIR include Bandish Shah, Jyoti Kosambi, Nilesh Tevadia, Rekha Jain, Vidyut Jain, Beena Jain, and Harish Jain.
Constable Sachin Shirtode, who was on duty during the demonstration, filed the complaint that led to the FIR. The complaint names seven known individuals, 50 unidentified women, and 100 unidentified men. Police also used video footage from television channels to identify suspects.
Authorities noted that because the property belongs to the civic body, the Dadar police initially requested the BMC to file a complaint. After receiving witness accounts and video evidence, police filed charges following the BMC’s confirmation that its officials witnessed the ransacking.
The FIR cites sections 189 for unlawful assembly and 324 for mischief under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Bombay Police Act.
The police continue to investigate the incident and work on identifying the remaining suspects from video evidence and witness statements.
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