New Delhi: The Delhi Police has told the Supreme Court that its personnel exercised ‘maximum restraint’ while using only the ‘minimum required force’ to control protesters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.
The affidavit, filed in a batch of petitions alleging excessive use of force by police during the protests, stated that the situation deteriorated after protesters turned violent and broke through several layers of barricades while attempting to march towards Parliament.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi District) Sachin Sharma also responded to allegations concerning the use of lathis fitted with nails, describing the footage relied upon as ‘only a solitary video’.
The police said the object visible in the video was in fact a stick carrying a national flag and was ‘possibly carried by some protester’. It further submitted that there was no medical evidence to substantiate allegations that protesters suffered injuries from nails embedded in lathis.
According to the police, none of the medico-legal certificates (MLCs) prepared in connection with the protests recorded any nail-related injuries among the protesters.
On the use of facial recognition technology, which is also under challenge in a separate petition before the Supreme Court, the Delhi Police has said the system is not designed to automatically create or maintain profiles of protesters who have no criminal background.
According to the affidavit, the technology is used to generate alerts in cases where individuals with previous criminal antecedents are identified, following which their details are subjected to verification by personnel on the ground.
The police said that between July 20 and 26, the system identified 2,873 individuals whose facial matches corresponded with existing criminal records. Of these, 92 were allegedly involved in more than 10 criminal cases, while 47 had been declared history-sheeters. The offences attributed to the identified persons included serious crimes such as murder and rape, as well as offences under the POCSO and NDPS Acts.
The affidavit clarified that any inquiry arising from the protests would be limited to the 2,873 individuals flagged through the system and would not be extended to protesters who were not flagged through the system.
The Delhi Police also highlighted the deployment of over 4,600 women police personnel over the six days of demonstrations, stating that the arrangement was made to safeguard the security and dignity of women participating in the protests.
On the use of lathis by police personnel, the affidavit described them as ‘acceptable and permissible helping gear’. It further said that the protective equipment issued to personnel had been properly accounted for and that its deployment was supported by documented records.
The Supreme Court is hearing a batch of pleas alleging excessive police action against students who participated in protests at Jantar Mantar and other places across the country over NEET examination paper leaks.
The July 20 Parliament march, organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) after weeks of protests and a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, drew thousands of students who attempted to march towards Parliament demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination paper leaks and broader reforms to the examination system.
Several videos shared on social media purportedly showed protesters being manhandled by police.
As demonstrators attempted to breach several police barricades in central Delhi while marching towards Parliament, security personnel used tear gas shells and carried out a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.