Protest at Gateway: Two prominent Mumbai lawyers arrested

Two prominent lawyers from Mumbai have been arrested in connection with unlawful assembly at the Gateway of India here last month to protest against the JNU violence, police said on Wednesday.

Lawyers Mihir Desai and Lara Jesani, who were named in the FIR registered on January 7 at Colaba police station in south Mumbai, were arrested on Tuesday and later released on personal bonds, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Sangramsingh Nishandar said.

The statements of both the lawyers, who are known for taking up cases pertaining to civil rights, were recorded earlier by the police, another official said.

Mumbai Police last month registered an FIR against more than 60 people, including Desai, Jesani and Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) former student leader Umar Khalid, he said.

Over 2,000 people, mostly college students, gathered at the iconic Gateway of India in the first week of January to protest against the JNU violence and to voice their opposition against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens.

After the gathering at the Gateway of India caused road blockade and posed problems for local people and tourists, the protesters were shifted to Azad Maidan where they ended their agitation.

Later, the police registered two FIRs, one against the protesters and another against Mumbai resident against Mehak Mirza, who was seen holding the controversial 'Free Kashmir' placard during the agitation, the official said.