CJP Protest Ends: Minors Recall Ordeal Under Police Detention
Minors were picked up on the way to the protest and detained for several hours.
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While the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) alleged "unlawful" detentions across the state capital by Delhi Police, several below 18 were kept in detention for longer hours, The Quint has learnt. They were picked up by Delhi Police from Nizamuddin and Ashram on July 23.
South-East Delhi DCP Hemant Tiwari said he "was not aware of" such detentions of minors. Six of these boys were Class 10, 12 school students from a school in Ghaziabad. Another was a migrant boy working as a tailor.
Over a total of 600 people have been detained in south-east jurisdiction of Delhi Police since July 20 - when police lathicharged Cockroach Janta Party protesters during the "Sansad Chalo" march. CJP has criticised Delhi police for detentions. "The Cockroach Janta Party demands that the @DelhiPolice immediately cease-and-desist from unlawfully detaining, intimidating or preventing citizens from reaching Jantar Mantar and refrain from creating an atmosphere of fear and siege around Jantar Mantar," said CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das.
Tiwari said that such detentions were made to "protect" protesters from possible violence and maintain law and order in view of existing prohibitory orders, which prohibit an assembly of more than five people and restrict public movement under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. He said in Badarpur, police have caught three people with one pistol and two knives. "They were going to the protest site. Had something untoward happened there, the police would have been blamed," he said.
He said police have identified more than 2000 criminal elements at the protest.
CJP called off their protest after Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation - a key demand of the protesters in view of the NEET paper leak. Another key demand of the CJP are that the government withdraw FIRs related to July 20 violence and give Rs. 1 crore compensation to NEET students who killed themselves.
What the Minors Allege
The six students from the Ghaziabad school were heading towards the protest site on their bikes on July 23. At noon, they were stopped at the Ashram underpass checkpoint at noon and taken to the nearby Sunlight police station. Around 6 pm, they were transported to the Badarpur police station, three students told The Quint.
"Our details such as my phone number, address and names of my parents were taken down. Our phones were confiscated. Around 20 people along with us were detained at Sunlight police station. From there, we were taken to Badarpur. Around 10, we were among the first to be released since we were below 18. Our phone was handed back to us during release," said one of the students.
Unruffled he said that they would go by public transport instead of bikes.
"It's our right to go to the protest site. It was legitimate. We don't want to hurt anyone. The police also said mean things to us. They said: 'if we see you next time, your returning home will become uncertain," another student said, claiming that many police personnel at the checkpoint did not have name tags.
A third student said they wanted to visit the site for solidarity and their future. "We all are students. We went there so that we don't face any (paper leak) problem after Class 12," a third student said.
The seventh boy, a tailor from West Bengal, along with an adult friend was heading towards New Delhi railway station when they were detained at Nizamuddin around 6 pm on July 23. "They asked us where we were going and coming from. They asked our name, family details and addresses," he said.
Few months shy of turning 18, the boy said he was released after a few hours.
The boys were among over 60 people who were kept at Badarpur police station on July 23, according to a group of lawyers who provided legal help for release. Today too, more than 20 people were detained at Badarpur.
The police have justified overall detentions to maintain law and order.
"We have not detained anyone until July 20. Stone pelting was done. Protesters and police personnel were injured: 150 from each side. After this, people have been going at an unreasonable time. They are not able to tell their destination and origin. They can't show (identify) documents. That's why they were stopped." said DCP Tiwari.