New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue court has convicted All India Mahila Congress chief and former MLA Alka Lamba for assaulting security personnel and disobeying public orders during a protest at Jantar Mantar two years ago.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Ashwini Panwar concluded that Lamba had failed to fulfil her duty to maintain public order, ignoring repeated police warnings declaring the protest illegal on July 29, 2024.
On that day, the All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) had organised a protest in support of women’s reservation, with Lamba being main speaker.
As per the FIR, Lamba and other protesters tried to breach the first line of barricades towards Tolstoy Marg around 1.30 pm, raising slogans about laying siege to Parliament House.
The FIR further alleged that Lamba incited protesters to breach the barricades and herself jumped over those, defying police orders.
Lamba, a former Aam Aadmi Party MLA, “blatantly failed” to adhere to undertakings and ignored repeated warnings issued by senior police officers, the court said. The conduct of the accused “spoke volumes”, the court added.
Lamba was convicted under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty), 221 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 223(a) (disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant) and 285 (danger or obstruction in a public way).
No other protester was booked in the case.
Lamba faces maximum punishment of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
