Thiruvananthapuram: Police have registered 831 cases against 7,913 individuals in Kerala for their involvement in protests opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
A detailed district-wise report on the number of cases was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs following the orders from the Director-General of Police (DGP). The report includes cases from December 10, 2019.
The Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 10, 2019, received the President's assent on December 12, 2019. The law facilitates Indian citizenship for six non-Muslim religious groups from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who came before December 31, 2014.
While Kerala police said a total of 831 cases were filed , Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reported 835 cases to the state assembly.
According to police, among the cases lodged, 114 were already withdrawn by the government. While 241 cases resulted in penalties, 11 resulted in acquittals. And 502 are currently undergoing trial across the state, the report added. Thiruvananthapuram has seen the most number, with 658 individuals charged in 86 cases. The highest number of cases are registered in the Northern districts of Kerala.
Decisions to withdraw government cases are determined by the court based on the prosecution's recommendations. Police sources indicate that fines have been levied in certain cases, leading to those who have paid being released from the litigation. In certain cases, further investigations are in progress, said police.
