Family members of Delhi Police personnel injured during the Jantar Mantar protest on Friday alleged that several officers came under attack after the demonstration turned violent, claiming protesters breached security barricades and damaged public property.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, relatives of the injured officers recounted the incidents and described the injuries sustained by police personnel deployed at the protest site.
The wife of an injured Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) said her husband had served in the force for 33 years.
“My husband has been serving in the Delhi Police for 33 years. He joined as a constable and is currently posted as an ASI,” she said.
Recalling the events of July 20, she said, “He left for duty at Jantar Mantar as usual. Around 11 a.m., he told me there was a huge crowd and that the protesters were marching towards Parliament. I asked him to take care of himself.”
She said she was later informed that her husband had been admitted to LNJP Hospital.
“He told me the crowd had turned aggressive and that some mischievous elements had joined the protest,” she said.
Alleging that police personnel came under attack during the clashes, she said, “They attacked police personnel with flower pots, stones, slippers and shoes. He also said they broke the barricades put up for Parliament’s security.”
The daughter of another injured Delhi Police officer said her father, a Sub-Inspector, had been deployed on the frontline near the main protest site.
“My father is an SI in Delhi Police. He was deployed at the main protest site and stationed on the frontline near the barricades amid a large crowd,” she said.
She claimed her father had earlier expressed concern about the nature of the protest.
“He would often tell us that the protest no longer seemed like a student protest and that anti-social elements had joined it,” she said.
Describing what she said happened on July 25, she added, “My father was dragged by a violent mob and was nearly lynched near the Jantar Mantar stage. He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for around four hours. Later that night, his colleagues brought him home, and his uniform was soaked in blood.”
(With inputs from IANS)
