Delhi Police assault allegations made by a protester involve claims of physical abuse, forced access to a detainee’s mobile phone, deletion of photographs and videos, and inadequate assistance for minors and an injured detainee after a demonstration-related detention in Connaught Place. The allegations have not been independently verified, and Delhi Police had not responded to queries cited in the report.
The protester, who purportedly participated in a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, said several people were detained after police personnel allegedly intervened near Connaught Place. In a video circulating on social media, he claimed that a group of people had stepped in after seeing male police personnel dragging a couple in the area.
According to the account reported by the Times of India, the detainees were taken to an isolated location where media personnel and other civilians were not allowed. The protester alleged that the group was made to sit in rows and that police personnel selectively asked detainees to hand over their mobile phones.
He further claimed that, in one instance, an inspector forced a detainee to provide a phone password. Police personnel allegedly browsed the phone’s gallery and deleted photographs and videos, including files in the recently deleted folder. The protester said the detainee was slapped several times after refusing to cooperate.
The account also alleged that detainees were taken individually into a compartment of a police van, where they were slapped, kicked and beaten. Some detainees were allegedly kicked in their private parts. These claims remain allegations and have not been independently confirmed in the supplied report.
The group was subsequently taken to a police station and later moved to another location, where their details were recorded, according to the protester. He claimed that four minors were present in one of the compartments and appeared frightened. Despite their details being recorded, police personnel allegedly did not attend to them for nearly two hours.
The protester also alleged that one detainee with a fractured hand was denied first aid despite repeated requests. He said police personnel initially refused to provide assistance but later offered it. The report did not provide independent medical documentation or a police account concerning the alleged injury or treatment.
The protester further claimed that internet connectivity had been shut down, affecting efforts to bring the alleged incident to public attention. The supplied report did not establish the cause, geographic extent or duration of any connectivity disruption.
The allegations raise questions about the safeguards that apply when people are detained during demonstrations, particularly the treatment of minors, access to medical care and the handling of personal electronic devices. They also bring attention to the need for a clear, independently verifiable account of what happened at each stage of the detention.
The report said Delhi Police had not responded to multiple queries about the allegations. Until the police provide a response or further documentary, medical or eyewitness evidence becomes available, the claims should be treated as unverified. Any formal inquiry, police statement or court proceeding would help establish the sequence of events and determine whether disciplinary or legal action is warranted.
