Women protesters allege Delhi Police manhandled them during Jantar Mantar march

Women protesters have alleged that Delhi Police manhandled them on October 11, during the second day of the citizens' attempt to reach Jantar Mantar. Along with the allegations of manhandling by Delhi Police, there were also allegations that the detention bus had no lights and no women police officers.

“Not only were these women activists manhandled by male police officers, but they were also slapped in the face while being detained,” said the SFI in a statement. It noted that male police cannot detain females, a blatant violation of Section 45(1) of the BNSS that states that only female police officers can physically handle, search or detain a woman.

In a separate video, a Delhi Police constable was allegedly touching a woman inappropriately while she allegedly slapped him. In a video, SFI protesters have alleged that police tore women's clothes on purpose. On Sunday, another video went viral showing a police officer carefully lunging and colliding with AISA National President, Neha Bora, near Safdarjung flyover, following which he folded his hands and apologised.

Delhi Police have not reacted to these allegations.

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“I was one of the people protesting at Connaught Place Sunday. We were in a group and went and stood in front of a blue Delhi Police vehicle. There were a handful of women cops around us, but a majority of them were men, many of whom were wearing helmets and had batons in their hands. Slowly, they pinned us against the bus, and the male cops started pushing. They kept their hands in the air, but pushed using their bodies; the women cops were at the peripheries by this time. Not only were we screaming out in pain, but also the experience of being crushed by male bodies was humiliating,” said a woman protester who sought anonymity.

“We were put in a bus that resembled jail cells. The windows were blocked off, and there were separate cells created using iron bars within the bus. Women cops detained us and dragged us inside. Some cops even strangled the protesters,” the woman alleged.