Three FIRs have been registered against 800-1,000 unknown people, a political activist and a journalist in connection with the gathering of hundreds of migrant labourers outside Mumbai Bandra Terminus on Tuesday, 14 April. At least 1,500 people had begun gathering outside the station hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced further extension of the lockdown till 3 May.
At least 1,000 odd unknown people have been booked under IPC Sections 143,147,149,186,188 read with Section 3 of the Epidemics Act.
Who is Vinay Dubey?
The second FIR has been filed against Vinay Dubey, a political activist who allegedly shared a Facebook post inciting migrant labourers to gather outside railway stations in the city. Mumbai police sources said Dubey's message went viral on social media.
Dubey has now been remanded to police custody till 21 April.
Vinay Dubey heads a Mumbai-based organisation named Uttar Bhartiya Mahapanchayat. In 2019, Dubey had invited MNS Chief Raj Thackeray to address a meeting attended by North Indians in the city. Dubey had also contested the Lok Sabha elections from Kalyan independently and had lost.
FIR Against a Journalist
The third FIR has been filed against ABP Mazha’s Rahul Kulkarni, who heads the Western Maharashtra zone. He is accused of putting up news on air which mentioned that trains have now begun running.
On Tuesday (14 April) afternoon, around 1,500 migrant labourers had assembled outside the Bandra railway station. Anxious about the lockdown being extended, these workers sought an intervention from the authorities that would enable them to return home amid the lockdown.
While it is still not fully clear as to why they assumed that Indian Railways had resumed its service after remaining shut since 22 March, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik claimed it might have been caused by misleading media reports.
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