A Delhi Police report submitted to the court regarding the protest at India Gate, accessed by UNI News Agency, states that all accused were medically examined at Dr RML Hospital. The report notes that no injury marks were found on Akshay, Sameer, Akash Banka, or Prakash Kumar Gupta. However, two accused—Ahan Arun Upadhyay and Vishnu Kumar Tiwari—were found to have minor injuries.
“Upadhyay has three linear abrasions of one centimeter with redness. Vishnu Kumar Tiwari has a bluish-red bruise measuring 2.2 cm on the right side of his neck,” the report stated.
It further clarified, “No police official assaulted any protester. If any minor injuries were sustained by the accused, they occurred due to their own resistance while being removed from the road, and not due to any custodial misconduct by the police.”
The police report contends that the protesters’ actions caused nuisance and panic among tourists in the area and that they physically confronted deployed police personnel.
“They began raising slogans unrelated to pollution, including: ‘Hidma and Naxalites, Tum Kitne Hidma Maaroge, Har Ghar Se Hidma Niklega.’ During the investigation, Section 197(d) of the BNS was also added due to the raising of the aforementioned anti-national slogans,” the report stated.
A total of six mobile phones, three pepper sprays, and banners/pamphlets were recovered from the protesters.
“The accused persons, along with their associates, created a serious law-and-order situation at India Gate, manhandled police personnel, and used pepper spray on them. Despite being given adequate time and opportunity to vacate the area peacefully, they refused to do so and further blocked the C-Hexagon Road, disrupting traffic,” the report added.
The report was submitted in response to allegations of custodial torture made by the protesters.
According to the police report, a group of male and female protesters affiliated with AISA, SFI, and JNUSU, under the banner of the Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air and operating the social media account “The Himkhand”, entered the India Gate premises. They began raising slogans and displaying pamphlets, banners, and posters, causing nuisance and panic among tourists.
The protesters were informed that Section 163 of the BNSS had been implemented and were directed to conduct their protest at Jantar Mantar, the designated site. However, they did not comply and instead physically confronted the police.
Subsequently, several protesters attempted to run toward C-Hexagon Radial Road to block traffic and cause further disturbance. At that location, they began raising slogans unrelated to pollution.
Thereafter, the protesters sat on the road, blocking traffic. When requested to vacate, they allegedly manhandled both male and female police officials. During this confrontation, one protester, identified as Wafia, handed a pepper spray to Akshay, who used it on CT Ishant, causing injuries. The injured official was immediately taken to RML Hospital for treatment.
The court of Aridaman Singh Cheema had directed the concerned DCP to submit a reply regarding the allegations of custodial torture.
“From the above MLCs, it is clear that there are no injuries on the accused persons except abrasions noted on the MLC of Ahan Arun Upadhyay and a bruise reported in the MLC of Vishnu Kumar Tiwari. In order to maintain public order and prevent any untoward incident, the protesters were lawfully detained and removed from the road,” the report concluded.
The Delhi Police have arrested twenty-three persons so far in connection with the case.