Around 3,500 women police personnel from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh led crowd-control operations across central Delhi on October 10 as demonstrators were stopped from marching towards Jantar Mantar, according to Delhi Police data reported by The Hindu.
The personnel were deployed along Ashoka Road, Jantar Mantar Road, Janpath, Connaught Place and Kharak Singh Marg. Buses carrying women police moved between locations as officers manned barricades, engaged with protesters, directed citizens and carried out detentions.
The deployment was visible from the morning, when women officers approached leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party aboard a flight from Mumbai before their detention. On the streets, women personnel took the lead in speaking to demonstrators, including young men, while male officers largely remained in the background.
At the entrance to Jantar Mantar near Connaught Place, an officer told The Hindu that the personnel had been instructed to prevent protesters and journalists from entering the area. “We have been asked to ensure that no protesters or journalists enter. We have been assigned to speak to them, ensure they do not crowd the area and prevent them from entering the premises,” the officer said.
The police presence also extended to Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, where protesters repeatedly sought shelter to avoid detention. Women officers negotiated with demonstrators and the gurdwara management during a standoff that continued for several hours. Protesters later emerged with banners and slogans before being chased by the police.
Women protesters were escorted away by women personnel. An officer near gate number four of the gurdwara said women officers had been instructed to remain firm but calm and persuade protesters to comply with the restrictions.
The deployment followed allegations of misconduct during earlier protests. A woman journalist had accused Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat of sexual harassment and manhandling. Videos circulating online also purportedly showed male police personnel assaulting women protesters. The allegations and videos were cited in the report as part of the context for the decision to place women officers at the forefront of the operation.
The restrictions affected access to several central Delhi locations, including the area around Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place and nearby roads. Police personnel were tasked with preventing groups from reaching the protest site and managing movement around the barricaded areas.
The reported operation placed negotiations, access control and detention procedures in the hands of women personnel across multiple public locations. The next steps in the deployment and any further police action were not specified in the report.
