‘Uniform stained with blood’: Delhi Police families recount NEET protest violence ‘trauma’

Families of Delhi Police personnel who were injured in violence during the Cockroach Janta Party protest on July 20 recalled the incident. Families have alleged that the demonstration was disrupted by “mischievous elements”. The clash took place during a student protest over the alleged NEET paper leak and demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstration began at Jantar Mantar and later moved towards Parliament, where tensions escalated between protesters and police personnel. While the mob hurled stones at the forces, even beating some officers, police lathi-charged protesters and used tear gas. Families have alleged that the demonstration was disrupted by “mischievous elements”.

ACP’s wife recalls ‘traumatic’ return home

The wife of an injured Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) described her husband’s return home after the confrontation as a painful experience for the family.

“The moment he returned home late on the night of July 20, injured as he was, was incredibly painful and traumatic for both me and my two-year-old daughter,” she recalled.

She added that several family members of injured police personnel had gathered to share their experiences and highlight the difficulties faced after the incident.

SI’s daughter recalls father’s injuries

The daughter of a Delhi Police Sub-Inspector (SI), who was also injured during the clash, said her father had earlier served as a Marine Commando in the Indian Navy before joining the police force.

“Before joining the police, my father served as a Marine Commando in the Indian Navy. He dedicated 15 years of his life to the Indian Navy. My father was present at the main protest site. He was on the front line near the barricades, where there was a large crowd,” she said.

“Whenever my father came home at night, he used to say that the protest no longer seemed like a student protest. Many antisocial elements had become involved in it. The very next day, on the 25th, my father was pulled by a rowdy mob and was almost lynched near the stage at Jantar Mantar,” she stated, adding that her father was unconscious at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital for nearly four hours.

“He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours. Around 10:00 PM, his colleagues brought him home, and his uniform was completely stained with blood. It was extremely painful for us to see him in that condition,” she said.

The SI’s daughter also claimed that she was hurt after seeing social media posts allegedly portraying her father as a criminal.

“When I opened social media, I saw that my father was being called a criminal,” she said. “The very next day, I came to know that the people who had attacked my father were approaching the Supreme Court to wash away their crimes and were filing complaints against him and all the police personnel.”

She added, “I felt very hurt and decided that I should also seek justice for my father. I received support from other police families, and we went to the Supreme Court. We requested an advocate to present our case before the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

“The advocate assured us that we, too, have equal rights as citizens of this country and that we would also get justice,” she said.

Families demand actions against ‘mischievous elements’

Another family member of an injured Delhi Police official alleged that the demonstration was affected by people who were not genuine students.

“This was not a student protest; rather, there were mischievous elements who tried to sabotage and discredit the students’ protest and shatter the dignity of Parliament,” the family member said.

The families demanded action against those responsible for violence while stating that genuine student concerns should be dealt with separately.