Delhi Police accused of brutal assault, stripping detained protesters
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New Delhi: Delhi Police have unleashed brutal force against CJP and Left youth activists protesting in the national capital for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, with serious allegations of custodial violence, stripping and physical abuse emerging against the police.
DYFI leader Jaick C Thomas and SFI state president Adarsh M. Saji were allegedly dragged forcefully and pushed into police vehicles. Saji sustained a bleeding forehead injury during the confrontation, while police allegedly tore Thomas’s clothes inside the vehicle.
Serious allegations have also emerged that male police personnel tore the clothes of women activists detained during the demonstration, raising further concerns over the treatment of protesters in custody.
According to the account, police personnel lined both sides of the detention vehicles and assaulted activists with their hands and boots before forcing them into enclosed compartments. Several protesters reportedly suffered significant injuries to their faces and backs.
The arrests were allegedly carried out without informing protesters where they were being taken or how long they would remain in custody, adding to concerns over the treatment of those detained.
The protesters were transported in specially designed vehicles fitted with prison-like bars and compartments. Rajya Sabha MP A.A. Rahim condemned the alleged treatment, comparing the vehicles to a mobile Guantanamo prison because of the reported abuse inside them.
Police allegedly stopped along the route to transfer detainees between vehicles and drove around for hours before taking them to police stations.
The allegations have intensified outrage over the handling of the protest and the treatment of student and youth activists demanding accountability from the Election Commission.