Amnesty sedition row: There was unlawful activity at the event, says top city cop

BENGALURU: A senior officer supervising the investigation into sedition charges against Amnesty International India revealed on Tuesday "certain unlawful activity" did take place at the event organised by the advocacy group, where participants allegedly raised 'antinational' slogans.

"The event as such is not unlawful.Certain developments towards the end of the event...there was certain unlawful activity by certain people," Additional Commissioner of Police (West) KSR Charan Reddy said."Now we have to decide who are the persons responsible and what sort of legal provisions is attracted."

On August 13, Amnesty had organised an event in the city where Kashmiri families narrated atrocities allegedly committed by the Indian armed forces. The police booked an FIR against Amnesty under sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity), 142 (unlawful assembly) and 147 (rioting) after the ABVP complained that participants at the event raised 'aazadi' slogans.

Amnesty issued a point-by-point rebuttal to the allegations in the complaint. "The allegations...are without substance. They are pre venting the families of victims of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir from having their stories heard," Amnesty said in a statement. "No Amnesty International India employee shouted any slogans at any point."