Minor protester, mother forced into hiding amid harassment over FIR for remarks on PM
For the past three days, a protester against whom a zero FIR was registered last week for allegedly abusive remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and her mother, have been living at an undisclosed location out of fear. The protester, who is reportedly 15 years old, had joined other demonstrators at the 36-day Jantar Mantar stir against the alleged NEET paper leak.
On July 31, the same day the Prime Minister spoke of forgiving “misguided children” who had used abusive language during the protest, she uploaded an apology video on social media. “We hoped it would end the harassment,” her mother told The Hindu. Instead, the harassment intensified.
“I am fed up. I have lost my work. We had no option but to leave our house because police personnel and strangers started showing up,” said the mother, who earns a living by giving tuitions at home and has been raising her daughter alone since her husband’s death in 2019. “We don’t know when things will become normal or when we will be able to return home,” she added.
Their lawyer, Anil Kumar, said, “They cannot leave the place where they are staying right now. They are under complete lockdown.” He claims that all details in the zero FIR registered on July 29, including the accused’s name and age, are wrong, and that she is 15, not 25 as mentioned in the FIR. “The only thing that was correct was the address, which they [the complainant] probably found circulating online. The two had no option but to leave their home,” he said.
The lawyer added that no one from Delhi Police has contacted them since the case was transferred from Noida to the Parliament Street police station. When reached for comment, DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said a regular FIR in the case has not yet been registered. “We will conduct a preliminary investigation and then take a call,” he said.
A zero FIR allows a complaint to be filed at any police station, irrespective of jurisdiction, and is later transferred to the appropriate station. In this case, the FIR was initially registered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, before being moved to Delhi. Legal experts note that if the accused is indeed a minor, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, would apply, which mandates a different procedure and emphasises rehabilitation over punitive action.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of protesters and the potential for harassment, especially when minors are involved. Rights groups have previously flagged that online circulation of personal details can lead to intimidation and force families to flee their homes. The mother’s plea highlights the human cost of such situations, as she has lost her livelihood and been displaced from her own residence.
Meanwhile, the protest at Jantar Mantar, which drew attention to alleged discrepancies in the NEET-UG examination, had seen several participants use strong language against political leaders. The Prime Minister, in a public address, had said he “forgives” those who used such words, describing them as “misguided children”. However, the aftermath for the protester suggests that the legal process continues to move independently of such statements.
As the family remains in hiding, their lawyer has urged authorities to verify the age and identity of his client before proceeding further. “We are not seeking any special treatment, but the law must be followed,” he said. The police have confirmed they will conduct a preliminary investigation, but no timeline has been given for when that might happen.
For now, the mother and daughter wait in uncertainty, unable to resume their normal lives. Their case underscores the vulnerability of ordinary citizens caught in the crosshairs of protests and legal action, and the need for a fair, transparent process that protects the rights of all individuals, including those accused of offences.
