Mumbai police driver threatens students with fabricated drug case

A video circulating on social media showed a Mumbai police driver telling detained student protesters that he would place 50 grams of "powder" in their pockets and file a false drug case if they returned to the demonstrations. The officer warned that the fabricated charge would ruin their lives and deny them bail.

Following the clip, Mumbai Police ordered an inquiry and removed the driver from his posting until the investigation is completed. The state government’s Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the behaviour "completely wrong" and said action had been taken. Opposition parties, including the Maharashtra Congress, condemned the incident as intimidation of democratic dissent and demanded a high‑level probe.

The video emerged amid larger student protests over alleged leaks of the NEET entrance exam. Demonstrations have spread to multiple Indian cities, with protesters demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and reforms of the education system. A separate viral incident featured 27‑year‑old model Rhiya Ahir blocking a police van carrying detained students, an act that became a defining image of the movement. Additional videos of alleged police misconduct during the protests have also been circulated, prompting further political criticism.

The police have registered dozens of cases and booked hundreds of participants for unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders during the July protests.