Delhi Police Defends Crowd-Control Action, Says Unruly Mob Hijacked Students’ Protest | Exclusive

Last Updated:July 23, 2026, 15:28 IST

Delhi Police has said it is open to judicial and investigative scrutiny and has preserved drone footage, CCTV recordings and body-camera feeds related to the violence.

A student-led protest that remained largely peaceful for nearly three weeks was eventually hijacked by outsiders and unruly groups, leading to violent clashes near central Delhi’s high-security parliamentary zone, top Delhi Police sources have told CNN-News18.

The police said the safety of genuine student protesters remained a priority throughout the agitation, but the situation changed when non-student groups allegedly entered the protest site, attempted to breach security barricades and moved towards Jai Singh Road.

More than 118 police personnel, including senior IPS officers, were injured in the violence, according to police estimates. Between 60 and 150 protesters were also reportedly taken to hospitals, while around 20 government vehicles were damaged.

Eyewitnesses, protesters and civil rights organisations, however, have accused the police of using excessive force, including indiscriminate baton charges, heavy tear gas shelling and physical assault on unarmed demonstrators. The allegations include claims that protesters were pulled by their hair and that some personnel in plain clothes used weapons during the crackdown.

Delhi Police has said it is open to judicial and investigative scrutiny and has preserved drone footage, CCTV recordings and body-camera feeds related to the violence.

Police Say Outsiders Entered Protest After 20 Days

According to top police sources, officers had exercised restraint during nearly three weeks of peaceful sit-ins at Jantar Mantar and had used only the minimum force required to manage the gathering.

The police said the nature of the demonstration began to change after people who were not students were spotted among the protesters.

Officers initially attempted to identify and separate genuine students from the non-student groups, the sources said. The matter was already under police observation when an unwanted crowd began gathering at Jantar Mantar.

The situation escalated when sections of the crowd allegedly tried to break through multi-layered security barricades and began moving towards Jai Singh Road, catching the police deployment by surprise.

Delhi Police believes the original student movement was taken over by groups seeking to provoke a confrontation and push the march towards the Parliament area.

March Declared An Unlawful Assembly

The march was treated as an unlawful assembly after demonstrators allegedly attempted to breach barricades erected near the parliamentary zone.

Police sources said permission for the march had been formally denied and prohibitory orders were already in force around the high-security area.

Delhi Police maintained that it was legally bound to prevent protesters from entering restricted zones and protect Parliament, government buildings and nearby civilian areas.

Repeated warnings were issued through public-address systems before crowd-control measures were initiated, the sources said.

Police personnel first used smoke canisters and other dispersal measures before resorting to physical intervention, according to the official account.

Sudden Surge Stretched Police Deployment

Police sources acknowledged that the force initially had limited personnel on the ground because of the sudden increase in the size of the gathering.

The authorities struggled with the rapid escalation, which was followed by last-minute Metro station closures, internet restrictions and the emergency deployment of more than 3,000 personnel, including units of the Rapid Action Force.

Security forces were then directed to reinforce barricades, protect public transport and prevent the crowd from spreading towards sensitive government installations.

According to the police, the immediate intervention helped prevent large-scale arson and damage to public buses, civic infrastructure and nearby civilian areas.

The crowd was managed under established crowd-dispersal protocols and within the directions issued to personnel on the ground, the sources said.

Protesters Allege Excessive Force

The police account has been contested by protesters, eyewitnesses and civil rights groups, who have alleged that force was used indiscriminately.

They have accused personnel of baton-charging students, using large quantities of tear gas and physically dragging demonstrators from the protest site.

Some accounts also alleged that women protesters were pulled by their hair and that plainclothes personnel assaulted unarmed students.

The precise circumstances in which force was used, and whether the response was proportionate, are expected to form part of subsequent investigations and any judicial scrutiny.

More Than 10 FIRs Registered

Delhi Police has registered more than 10 FIRs at several police stations, including Sansad Marg and Connaught Place.

The cases have been filed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to rioting, unlawful assembly, assault on public servants and damage to government property.

Investigators are examining video footage to identify those allegedly involved in breaking barricades, attacking police personnel and damaging vehicles.

The police are also trying to establish how non-student groups entered the agitation and whether the violence was spontaneous or coordinated.

Delhi Police Says It Is Open To Scrutiny

Delhi Police has maintained that it has nothing to conceal and will cooperate with any judicial or investigative examination of its conduct.

All available drone footage, CCTV recordings and body-camera feeds have been preserved, top sources said.

The evidence is expected to help establish the sequence of events, identify those responsible for initiating the violence and determine whether police personnel followed prescribed crowd-control procedures.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18

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