Jaipur: Mobile net ban continues, residents cry harassment

Five days have passed since a seven-year-old girl was raped in Shastri Nagar, but a sense of unrest remains in Jaipur with police banking on Internet curfew to maintain law and order.

The web curfew was clamped on Tuesday after people indulged in violence. Though no arrests have made in the case till now, the Internet ban has been extended till Saturday morning, causing inconvenience to locals who feel that this is not the way to check rumours.

Police said the ban was being continued to check the possibility of unrest erupting in the city. Ajay Pal Lamba, additional commissioner II said, “Shastri Nagar and Bhatta Basti continue to be tense and we have stationed police every 100 metres. People are still gathering at irregular intervals and the reason for the Internet ban was to curb any rumour-mongering.”

However, local residents are finding it difficult to function without Internet connectivity. Arvind Singh, a departmental store owner in Adarsh Nagar said, “Banning the Internet is not the solution. It is affecting our daily lives and business since customers are unable to pay using various internet-based payment apps. The ban should be lifted in at least those areas where there has been no violence.”

People also claimed police failed to control the situation effectively. Aditi Singh, a student said, “Commuting has also become a problem since no app cabs can be used without Internet. Banning the Internet is not the solution and police need to understand that rumours can be circulated through calls and SMSes as well. A better preventive method needs to be devised.”

Meanwhile, police claimed that though they had identified the rapist, it will not guarantee the Net ban being lifted. “The ban is in place only in certain areas and it has nothing to do with the arrest. Ban might continue even after the accused has been arrested if tension persists,” added Lamba.

K C Verma, divisional commissioner, Jaipur said, “The ban has been extended till Saturday. People tend to use Internet to send videos and photographs which at times can create tension.”