In an emotional press conference held in Delhi, family members of police personnel injured during the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protests voiced their demands for recognition and justice. They alleged that the public discourse has been dominated by a "one-sided narrative" that unfairly portrays the police force, overshadowing the severe injuries sustained by officers.
Harrowing Accounts of Violence
Addressing journalists, the families presented videos purportedly showing attacks on police personnel, asserting that anti-social elements had infiltrated what began as a student agitation. They appealed for an end to the public demonisation of officers who, they stated, faced sustained violence while performing their duties.
“My father was dragged by a rowdy mob and was almost lynched near the stage at Jantar Mantar. This happened at around 2 pm. He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours."
The daughter of a Delhi Police sub-inspector recounted her father's ordeal near the protest stage at Jantar Mantar on July 25, where she claimed he was "almost lynched." She described the painful sight of her father returning home with his uniform soaked in blood. She questioned the public narrative, stating, "When I opened social media, I saw my own father being portrayed as a criminal. Then I learnt that the same people who attacked him had gone to the Supreme Court. We also have equal rights. We also deserve justice.”
Seema, the wife of an assistant sub-inspector with 33 years of service, shared that her husband was hospitalized after being struck by stones during the CJP’s march to Parliament on July 20. She alleged that the crowd became extremely aggressive, using flower pots, slippers, shoes, and stones against the police. “The helmet issued to him during duty was completely shattered. Had the stone struck his head after breaking through the helmet, perhaps he would not be alive today. That thought still shakes me,” she said, appealing to lawmakers to consider the welfare of police personnel.
Lakshya Singh Mehta, whose father is also an assistant sub-inspector, reported that his father sustained a head injury, requiring four stitches, while attempting to move senior officers to safety during stone-pelting. He criticized the "one-sided portrayals" on social media, lamenting the lack of public attention to the police's side of the story.
Seeking Legal Recourse and Recognition
The families' media interaction coincides with their move to approach the Supreme Court. Relatives of injured officers have filed two provisional applications, alleging "unprovoked and lethal aggression" by mobs using "glass bottles, stones, sharpened floor tiles and other material" between July 20 and 25. One petition indicates that over 130 police personnel were injured on July 20 alone, with the total number rising to approximately 200 after subsequent clashes.
Ongoing Political Fallout
Meanwhile, Opposition parties continue to press Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for answers regarding alleged police excesses during the protests. The Opposition, alongside the CJP, has called for the withdrawal of all cases registered against students. In response, the Delhi Police stated it would not take legal action against individuals who participated in the CJP-led protest, but those with a criminal background would face action. A Delhi government order has also directed the home department to expedite the review of arrests and the release of detained persons.