Gateway protest: 17 including senior lawyer arrested

Mumbai — At least 17 persons including a senior advocate, activists and journalists were arrested by the police in connection with a protest at the Gateway of India here last month against the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), an official said on Wednesday.

All of them were released on bail after arrest for alleged unlawful assembly.

On Tuesday, the police had arrested senior advocate Mihir Desai and Lara Jesani, another lawyer, in the case.

Human rights lawyer Susan Abraham, a student leader from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences Shefali Saini, activists Suvarna Sable, Feroz Mithiborwala and senior journalist Jatin Desai were among those arrested on Wednesday.

"All the arrested accused were released on personal bonds," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Sangramsingh Nishandar.

All of them were named in the First Information Report registered on January 7 at the Colaba police station in south Mumbai, he said.

The FIR named more than 60 people, including Desai, Jesani and former JNU student leader Umar Khalid.

Over 2,000 people, mostly college students, gathered at the iconic Gateway of India on January 7 to protest against an attack by masked goons on JNU campus as well as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.

After the gathering at the Gateway of India caused a roadblock and posed problems for locals and tourists, the protesters were shifted to Azad Maidan where they ended their agitation.