The Gamdevi police on Friday registered a FIR against women’s rights activist Trupti Desai, for holding a protest without permission. Even as Ms Desai marched towards chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ house to voice her dissent on not being allowed to enter Haji Ali Dargah, she was detained on the way and not allowed to proceed further.
According to sources, Ms Desai and her supporters, after being stopped by police, started shouting slogans near Breach Candy on Bhulabhai Desai Road, causing traffic disruption and to an extent, communal tension. The Gamdevi police said that she did not pay heed to its requests to not proceed towards the CM’s house and continued her protest, causing them to detain her. This is the second offence registered against the President of Bhumata Brigade. On Thursday, the Tardeo police registered a FIR against her under the Bombay Police Act for not having proper police permission to hold a protest at the Haji Ali Dargah.
Ms Desai, who successfully protested against women not being allowed inside the Shani Shingnapur temple, had announced that she would enter the Haji Ali Dargah. She had said that she would not go beyond the area where women are not allowed, however, she was barred from even entering the Dargah. Ms Desai continued protesting outside the Dargah till the traffic situation and growing communal tension forced the police to escort her away. A group of believers had allegedly threatened to blacken Ms Desai’s face if she dared to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Dargah. The Tardeo police registered the first offence against Ms Desai and 15 other people and arrested five of them. Gamdevi police on Friday registered an offence under Section 135 of the Bombay Police Act.
