Delhi police arrest 15 people for vaccine query- held on the charge of pasting posters over the floundering jab drive

They were held on the charge of pasting posters that asked questions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the floundering jab drive

Narendra Modi.: File photo

PTI   |   New Delhi   |  16.05.21: Delhi police have arrested 15 people on the charge of pasting posters that asked questions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the floundering vaccination drive, officials said on Saturday.

The posters read: “Modiji humare bachchon ki vaccine videsh kyun bhej diya (Modi, why did you send vaccines meant for our children to foreign countries)?”

They had been put up in several parts of the city, the officials said. The police received information about them on Thursday, following which senior officers of the districts were alerted.

Based on further complaints, as many as 17 FIRs were registered in various districts under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, the officials said.

These sections entail a maximum punishment of a year’s jail and/or a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

Bodies buried in the sand near the banks of the Ganga in Allahabad, as seen on Saturday during the second wave of Covid-19.: PTI photo

A senior police officer said: “More FIRs are likely to be registered if further complaints are received. An investigation is underway to ascertain on whose behalf these posters were put up across the city, and accordingly further action will be taken.”

The Delhi police, who report to the Union home ministry, said three FIRs had been registered in northeast Delhi and two persons arrested from there. Three FIRs were registered in west Delhi and another three in outer Delhi, they added.

Two FIRs were registered in central Delhi and four people were arrested. Two FIRs were registered at Rohini and two persons were arrested, while one FIR was registered in east Delhi and four people were arrested. One FIR was registered at Dwarka with two arrests made. One FIR was registered in north Delhi and one person was arrested.

One of the accused has claimed he was given Rs 500 to paste the posters, the police said.

Another case was registered in Shahdara where the police have studied CCTV footage and are trying to arrest a person seen in the video pasting posters, the police said.