Police record protester's statement who held FREE KASHMIR' Placard

Prabhu with the poster at the protest on Monday

On Wednesday, the Colaba police recorded the statement of Mahek Mirza Prabhu who was seen holding 'Free Kashmir' placard during the protest at Gateway of India on Monday against JNU violence. Mehak, who is a known story-teller and writer was booked by Colaba police under section 153 (B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of IPC, for holding a 'Free Kashmir' banner during the protest at the Gateway of India on Monday.

Mehak was called to the Colaba Police Station, where her statement was recorded by a woman police officer in front of Sangramsinh Nishandar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I), the official said, reports PTI. According to the police officials, Mirza was accompanied by her lawyer and she was allowed to go after her statement was recorded.

While recording her statement, the proceeding was also video recorded. The placards, banners, and posters which were used during the protest at the Gateway of India, were also brought to the police station. On January 5, 2019, hundreds of students had carried out a peaceful protest against the brutal violence inside JNU.

In the same protest, Mahek had taken part and had carried a placard with 'Free Kashmir' written on it. The placard carried by Mehak stormed a massive controversy after the former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis tweeted targeting chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

When Mehak learned an FIR being registered against her, Prabhu told mid-day, "I am really shocked. The issue has been blown out of proportion." Further clarifying her statement, Mehak said, ""I wasn't shouting any slogans at all. In fact, I was holding a flower and talking to people about the Internet ban being wrong and that we should extend a hand of peace. To create an entire twitter campaign out of this and put out a completely different narrative, is worrying. No one asked me for my explanation before doing that, and plastered my face all over the Internet, making it unsafe for me."

Although Mehak took to Facebook and apologised, the Colaba police booked her under IPC section 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) on Tuesday.

With inputs from PTI

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