Charges against Barrackpore protester dismissed

A MAGISTRATE has dismissed two charges against a 61-year-old Barrackpore woman who was arrested during a protest there in 2023.

On July 3 magistrate Margaret Alert discharged Shairah Ali, the grandmother of four, on charges of disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.

WPC Nalisha Mohammed-Aziz charged Ali but failed to show up in court as the charging officer and had sent three medical reports to the court when the matter was fixed for trial on July 3.

One of the prosecution’s witnesses also did not show up for the trial.

Alert dismissed the case after standing down the matter and there was still no show of the witness.

In dismissing the charges, Alert said the case was a classic example of "institutional lassitude."

The police had alleged that they were on mobile patrol in the Barrackpore policing district, paying attention to protest action when an East Indian woman shouted to them, “Allyuh police wasting time here. We protesting every day and allyuh cyar do we nothing.”

The police’s summary of evidence further alleged that Mohammed-Aziz cautioned the woman about the offence of disorderly behaviour when the woman began gesticulating and shouting.

The woman was arrested and later charged at the Barrackpore police station.

At the time of the incident, a video on social media showed a police officer addressing a woman who was standing with others at the side of the road.

The officer told her to lower her voice and about disorderly behaviour. The woman insisted she was being peaceful. The officer then told her she was under arrest and warned her about resisting arrest.

Ali was represented by attorney Renuka Rambhajan.