Akshay ER, a student whose photo of being crushed by police personnel went viral during protest at India Gate, has been named in a Police First Information Report (FIR) that tells a starkly different story, alleging he was part of a group that assaulted officers.
The viral image depicted Akshay as a victim of police force. However, the police’s official account, detailed in the FIR, identifies him as a key perpetrator in the incident.
According to the FIR, one of the female protesters, identified as Vafia, first retrieved a bottle from her handbag and handed it to Akshay. The FIR alleges that Akshay then “brought the bottle close to my [the officer’s] face and pressed it, causing a substance to go into my eyes, which led to a burning sensation.”
The document further states that another protester, a girl named Kanti Himkhand, also sprayed a similar substance on the officer. The police claim these acts were deliberate and “premeditated,” with the intention of causing harm.
The FIR adds that the group, “taking the law into their own hands and acting in concert, attacked the police force.” It also alleges that the main associates “intentionally molested female police officers and verbally abused them.”
The contrasting narratives—the viral image of Akshay ER under police restraint versus the police’s allegation of him initiating an assault—present two conflicting sides of the event. The case is under investigation as the legal process unfolds.
The Police apprehended twenty-three protestors including a minor and lodged two seperate FIRs against them.