Delhi Police arrested four men on October 11 after a video circulated showing a male protester being assaulted and a woman being physically attacked during a demonstration on DDU Marg in central Delhi, bringing scrutiny to the handling of public safety and police conduct during protests in the capital.
The arrests were made a day after the October 10 incident, which took place within the jurisdiction of Kamla Market police station. The video showed four men approaching and assaulting a male protester. When a young woman moved towards the scene, the men allegedly threw her to the ground, after which one of them appeared to attack her.
The accused were identified as Raman Saini, 50, of Pahari Dheeraj in Delhi; Vivekanand, also known as Vivek, 32, of Nangloi; Kapil Kumar, 27, of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh; and Ravinder Singh, also known as Govind Hindu, 35, of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad.
The Delhi Police said the Kamla Market police station had taken suo motu cognisance of the video and initiated legal proceedings. A senior Central district police official said allegations that police personnel had failed to take appropriate action during the incident were also being examined. The official said a case would be registered and action taken accordingly.
The footage also appeared to show police personnel intervening after the alleged assault. Two policemen were seen holding men by their shoulders and moving them away from the scene. Their manner of handling the alleged attackers, rather than restraining them immediately, drew criticism on social media and led to questions about whether sufficient action was taken at the spot.
The arrests also brought the alleged attackers’ association with the Hindu Raksha Dal into focus. Its president, Pinky Chaudhary, subsequently claimed that the four men were members of his organisation and described them as his “warriors”. In social media statements, he said the organisation would protect the accused and warned that it would retaliate against those who targeted Sanatan Dharma. These statements were reported as claims by the organisation’s president; the police report cited in the source did not establish the group’s organisational role in the incident.
The incident occurred amid heightened security in central Delhi during a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Delhi Police had denied permission for the demonstration, citing the timing of the application, alleged non-compliance with conditions imposed during an earlier protest, and concerns about law and order and traffic management.
Security restrictions were imposed in the New Delhi district, and police detained people as part of measures to prevent the unauthorised gathering. The Aam Aadmi Party criticised the alleged assault and questioned the use and conduct of male police personnel while dealing with women protesters. The Cockroach Janta Party also condemned the incident and alleged that the assault took place in the presence of police personnel.
Delhi Police’s examination of both the alleged assault and the conduct of personnel at the scene will determine the next steps in the case. The immediate official action remains the registration of the case and investigation by the Kamla Market police station.
