Top cop to address media at 12pm today over 'Free Kashmir' poster, FIRs

Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve (left); and Mahek Mirza Prabhu with the poster at the protest.

After a controversy erupted over the 'Free Kashmir' placard at the Occupy Gateway protests on Monday, and an FIR was registered against the woman, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve will address a press conference at 12pm on Thursday.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government is unhappy with the FIR registered against the students.

Although Mahek Mirza Prabhu, a story-teller and writer, had apologised and clarified her stance through a Facebook post, she was booked by the Colaba police under section 153 (B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for holding the poster.

The Colaba police have started rummaging through her social media accounts to check whether or not she supports separatism.

The police said they are investigating every detail about her as they need to understand what her intention was when she held up that banner at the protest. They are also trying to figure out if she brought the banner to the Gateway of India or someone else did.

The police said they will also examine the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the area and the interviews given to TV news channels during the protest. "If anyone else drew those placards or brought it to the location or if other participants carried the same placard, then their names will be added to the FIR," the officer said.

Prabhu, in her statement to the police, reiterated that the message only meant the end of restrictions in Kashmir.

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