Aftermath of Bandra migrant crisis, Cops arrest one for offensive social media posts

Mumbai: Following the sudden crisis that blew itself up in Bandra yesterday, Mumbai Police on Wednesday arrested an activist named and identified  as Vinay Dubey for starting the rumors with his social media posts.

Last month after the sudden announcement of 21day lockdown, thousands of migrants workers without job, food and shelter had started walking for home on foot. On April 14, after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on the further extension of lockdown till May 3. The 21dayslockdown had already upset the migrant workers, Vinay’s provoking speech on social media is suspected to have added fuel to the fire burning in already upset migrants with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Thus, thousands of migrant workers gathered in the noon of April 14 at Bandra station demanding with the government to send them to their native places from the state. Unable to control the mob, Mumbai Police had to disperse the mob with mild lathi-charge.

The abrupt lockdown in the country due to Corona virus had already upset migrants across the country. The migrants hailing from various states in Maharashtra are arranged at the shelter-homes by the state government.

Abhishek Trimukhe , Deputy Commissioner of Police said, ” We have registered three offenses in Bandra police station in migrant crisis created near Bandra station. We have arrested Vinay Dubey in one of the offence and the magistrate court has given police custody till April 21. We are investigating the case with several available videos and incidences happened.” Dubey was arrested from his home in Navi Mumbai by Mumbai Police and was taken to the magistrate court to seek his remand for further investigation.

Dubey is arrested by Mumbai Police under IPC section 117, 153(A) , 188, 269, 270 , 505 (2) and section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

According to Mumbai Police, Vinay Dubey posted a video and instigated migrants ” Chalo Ghar ki Or “( let’s head home ). It is alleged that the social-activist Dubey in his video challenged the government, also asked the migrants to assemble to go to their homes.

The video of Vinay claims “I request that after the lockdown gets over on April 14, the state government arrange trains to UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal. They can be quarantined once they get there… They are desperate here, they will die of hunger, if not from coronavirus…We will wait till 14th or 15th, if government does not do anything, I, Vinay Dubey, will start the journey with those migrants on foot.”

A private-television channel journalist Rahul Kulkarni is also booked by Bandra Police station. Kulkarni is detained in Osmanabad by the police under violation of Epidemic Diseases Act along with 117, 118, 261, 270 and 505(B) Indian Penal Code. 

In case of offence registered  against Kulkarni it is still to be probed by the Mumbai police, on the note of Railway Ministry’s decision to run Jan Sadharan” train for migrants stranded by the lockdown. The internal communication, issued after a meeting on April 13. Thus police suspect that journalists report may have prompted the massive gathering near a railway station at suburban Bandra hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown till May 3.

The railway ministry’s internal note was on a decision to run a “Jan Sadharan” train for migrants stranded by the lockdown. The internal communication, issued after a meeting on April 13, “has been withdrawn” as the lockdown was extended after PM Narenda Modi extended it to May 3.

The railways admitted the news report was “ostensibly based on an internal letter of communication within the Commercial department of the Zone, which has found its way on the Social Media”. South Central Railways, which held the meeting, also tweeted a clarification this morning. The third FIR is registered against 1000 gathered mob for creating rioting situation in Mumbai

Meanwhile,  Kirit Somaiya Vice President Maharashtra BJP unit shared a video on his twitter handle, based on the video which Kirit claims retrieved from his reliable source is claiming that Bandra- migrant crisis was a planned event and has asked to investigate it.- By Santoshee Gulabkali Mishra