Delhi Police are facing allegations of assault from NSUI national secretary Ritu Barala, who said she was beaten during and after her detention following a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in central Delhi. The allegations were raised at a press conference addressed by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who introduced Barala and other NSUI workers involved in the protest.
Barala said NSUI members had been holding a peaceful demonstration in Connaught Place on Tuesday when they were detained and taken away in buses. According to her account, two women and around 20 to 30 other NSUI workers were in her bus, where a woman constable identified by her as Chanchal Yadav was also present.
Barala alleged that she and another woman tried to get off the bus to continue the protest. She said Yadav pressed her neck, pushed her backwards towards a seat and scratched her face and the area near her ear with her fingernails. Barala further alleged that the constable slapped her, pulled her hair and pressed her neck again while using her footwear against her ear.
She also alleged that the constable made remarks about removing the protesters’ “leadership” and that the detainees were subsequently taken to a police station. Barala said she was later taken to room number 107, where five to seven women in civilian clothes allegedly entered, shut the room and beat her with sticks, blows and punches.
The account was presented at a press conference on Wednesday, where Rahul Gandhi described Barala as a “lioness” and said she had not been frightened despite being beaten. Barala said she did not feel fear or hatred and accused Delhi Police of treating the protesters in an inhumane manner. She said the incident showed how police action could be used to suppress people’s voices.
The allegations relate to a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The supplied report does not include a response from Delhi Police, details of any internal inquiry, medical documentation, a formal complaint or the legal sections under which the NSUI workers were detained. It also does not independently establish the allegations against the personnel named by Barala.
A video of the reported incident involving a woman police officer and Barala was described in the report as having circulated on social media. However, the supplied material does not provide details about the video’s source, authenticity or whether it has been examined by an investigating authority.
The episode places renewed focus on how police manage political demonstrations and the safeguards available to people taken into custody. The next formal steps, including any complaint by the protesters, a police response or an inquiry into the allegations, will determine whether the claims lead to an official investigation.
