Delhi Police clarifies use of force during Jantar Mantar protests

Delhi Police has filed an affidavit in court regarding a recent protest at Jantar Mantar led by students of the Cockroach Janata Party. The police clarified that force was not used against peaceful protesters, but rather against specific individuals identified as having serious criminal histories.

To identify these individuals, police utilized mobile Facial Recognition System (FRS) units to scan the crowd and match faces against criminal databases. The police reported that between July 20 and July 26, the Jantar Mantar area saw a spike in criminal activity, including seven vehicle thefts, 67 thefts, and 123 reports of lost property, suggesting that criminals were operating under the cover of the demonstrations.

The police also denied claims that private identification documents were being used to issue summons to protesters, calling such reports misleading. Evidence including body camera footage, CCTV, wireless messages, and official videography has been secured to document damage to government property and attacks on police officers.