- Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Charges were filed against the duo under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (wantonly giving provocation with the intent to cause riot) but they were released later.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE police in Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday (16) initiated a case against two Australian women tourists of Jewish descent for allegedly ruining pro-Palestine posters put up by the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Islamic organisation.
A first information report, lodged at Fort Kochi police station, refrained from specifying the names of the individuals involved, The Indian Express news outlet reported.
Charges were filed under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (wantonly giving provocation with the intent to cause riot). The duo were released later from police custody as the offence is bailable.
As per the police report, the tourists allegedly destroyed a poster installed by the SIO close to the Fort Kochi boat jetty on Monday (15) evening. Some local youths then confronted the women, sparking a heated exchange between the local people and the foreigners.
On Tuesday, K S Azeem, a leader in the SIO’s area, lodged a formal complaint with the local police, urging them to take action against the women. Additionally, SIO activists managed to track down one of the women to a homestay near Fort Kochi.
According to the report, SIO activists turned up at the police station in large numbers on Tuesday night as the officers were reportedly reluctant to take action on the complaint. They also staged a protest in front of the police station. Later, they dispersed only after the police agreed to file a case.
According to the police, the pro-Palestine posters were put up during the New Year.
“There was no permission to erect the posters, but it was up to the local civic body to remove them from public places,” police said, according to The Indian Express.
A deadly conflict began in the Middle East after Palestinian militant outfit Hamas attacked Israel in October last year, leading to a retaliation from Tel Aviv that has seen massive casualties till date. The Indian government came up with a more balanced approach after prime minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with Israel in the beginning.
