New Delhi : The Delhi Police has rejected allegations of excessive force during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janta Party over the NEET paper leak. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the police said more than 30,000 people had gathered for the demonstration. It argued that the large crowd and violence that erupted after protesters breached barricades made the use of graded force necessary.
The Delhi Police said that the protesters had gathered across a stretch of around 3 kilometres, while about 5,000 police personnel were deployed to manage the situation. According to the police, the demonstration was initially peaceful, but the situation changed after protesters breached barricades and the crowd became difficult to control. The force used by personnel was “graded” and, according to the police, proportionate to the circumstances on the ground.
The police said more than 240 personnel were injured during the clashes, while around 200 protesters also suffered injuries. The affidavit further claimed that anti-social elements and history-sheeters had infiltrated the protest, contributing to the escalation of the situation. The affidavit also relies on the regulatory framework governing protests around Jantar Mantar and Central Vista.
The Delhi Police’s Standing Order provides for prior police permission for demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, caps the gathering at 1,000 persons, and prohibits marches from the designated protest site except a limited symbolic march with prior permission. The police therefore maintains that the protesters’ attempt to proceed towards Parliament was not a continuation of a permitted demonstration but a departure from the regulated protest framework.
The affidavit ultimately leaves the question of whether the force crossed the permissible limit to the Court’s proposed fact-finding mechanism, while insisting that the police response was necessary, proportionate and undertaken only after the situation had escalated. The CJI-led bench is expected to consider the police’s response, including the allegations concerning use of force, plainclothes personnel and facial-recognition technology, later today.
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