Delhi Police Defends Jantar Mantar Action, Denies Excessive Force In Supreme Court

The Delhi Police has defended its handling of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) "Chalo Sansad" march from Jantar Mantar on July 20, telling the Supreme Court that allegations of excessive force present a "one-sided picture" of the events. In a 97-page counter-affidavit, the police said the demonstration, which began as a protest against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, escalated into violence after protesters breached barricades and damaged public and government property.

According to the affidavit, the CJP had initially sought permission for a peaceful demonstration involving 500-600 participants, but permission for the march towards Parliament was denied. Police said thousands of protesters nevertheless gathered and ignored repeated warnings issued through loudspeakers. The force alleged that protesters breached barricades and caused damage at several locations, including Rail Bhawan, Parliament Street, Connaught Place, Janpath, Tolstoy Marg and Gole Market.

The police maintained that its personnel exercised "maximum restraint" and used only the minimum force required after the situation turned violent. The affidavit claimed that more than 30,000 people, including individuals described as anti-social elements, had gathered during the demonstration. It further alleged that groups of protesters attacked individual police personnel with stones and sticks, pulled away protective equipment and removed helmets. The police argued that officers had to make immediate decisions based on the security situation on the ground and that selected video clips should not be used to assess their actions in isolation.

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The Delhi Police also reported that more than 240 personnel were injured during the protests. It defended the use of lathis as permissible equipment and maintained that officers acted in good faith and within the law, with maintaining public order and protecting Parliament and other vital installations as their primary responsibilities. The response was filed against petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the police action, with the force arguing that the petitions were based on disputed facts and incomplete accounts of the events.

On the use of facial recognition technology, the police told the Supreme Court that the system was used to identify people with existing criminal records rather than automatically create profiles of protesters without criminal backgrounds. According to the affidavit, facial recognition systems generated alerts when matches with previous criminal records were detected, after which police personnel verified the identities on the ground. Between July 20 and 26, the system reportedly identified 2,873 individuals whose facial matches corresponded with existing criminal records.

The police said 92 of those identified had allegedly been involved in more than 10 criminal cases, while 47 had been declared history-sheeters. More than 4,600 women police personnel were also deployed during the six days of demonstrations, which the force said was intended to protect the security and dignity of women protesters. The CJP demonstrations had drawn thousands of young supporters to Delhi over alleged NEET irregularities and demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, whose resignation followed on July 25.

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