New Delhi: Family members of Delhi Police personnel injured during the violence that broke out in the surroundings of Jantar Mantar on July 20 narrated their ordeal at a press conference held in the national capital on Friday.
Clashes broke out after the police stopped members and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from marching towards Parliament in demand of the resignation of former Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who they blamed for the NEET UG 2026 paper leak and other irregularities in the education system.
The relatives recounted the physical and emotional toll the clashes have taken on the families and called for greater recognition of the challenges faced by police personnel on duty.
The daughter of a Delhi Police sub-inspector (SI) alleged that her father was seriously injured after being attacked by a mob during the protests. Her father had a long record of service to the country before joining the police force, she said.
“Before joining the police, my father served as a Marine Commando in the Indian Navy. He dedicated 15 years of his life to the Indian Navy,” she said.
The SI was deployed at the main protest site near the barricades and had repeatedly expressed concerns about the nature of the agitation, she noted.
“My father was present at the main protest site. He was on the front line near the barricades, where there was a large crowd. Whenever my father came home at night, he would say the protest no longer seemed like a student protest. Many antisocial elements had become involved in it,” she said.
She claimed that he was injured after being attacked by a mob near the main stage at Jantar.
“My father was pulled by a rowdy mob and was almost lynched near the stage at Jantar Mantar. This happened around 2 pm. He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours,” she said.
“Around 10 pm, his colleagues brought him home, and his uniform was completely stained with blood. It was extremely painful for us to see him in that condition,” she added.
She also spoke about the impact of online criticism directed at police personnel following the clashes.
“When I opened social media, I saw that my father was being called a criminal. The very next day, I came to know that the people who had attacked my father were approaching the Supreme Court and filing complaints against him and other police personnel. I felt very hurt and decided that I should also seek justice for my father,” she said.
The SI’s daughter later joined other police families in approaching the Supreme Court.
“I received support from other police families, and we went to the Supreme Court. We requested an advocate to present our case before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The advocate assured us that we too have equal rights as citizens of this country and that we would also get justice,” she said.
The wife of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who was injured during the clashes, described the night of July 20 as one of the most traumatic experiences for her family.
“The moment he returned home late on the night of July 20, injured as he was, was incredibly painful and traumatic for both my two-year-old daughter and me. I am accompanied here by other family members of Delhi Police personnel, and we wish to share our ordeal with you,” she said.
The police personnel deployed at the protest site came under violent attack while attempting to maintain law and order, the family members alleged.
Seema, whose husband is an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Delhi Police, said he had been deployed to ensure that the protest remained peaceful.
“He was doing his duty with full conviction and trying to ensure that the protest remained peaceful,” she said.
Her husband informed her around 11 am on July 20 that large crowds had gathered at Jantar Mantar. However, by evening, she learned that he had been hospitalised, Seema said.
“Around 7 pm, when I called him, I got to know that he had been admitted to a hospital and was receiving treatment,” she said.
The protesters attacked police personnel using various objects available at the site, she claimed.
“They hit the police force with flowerpots, stones and whatever came to their minds. I was really afraid. When he returned home at night, he told me that along with the students, there were also miscreants in the protest,” she said.
She further claimed that her husband’s helmet had been badly damaged during the violence.
“His helmet was completely broken. Had the stone hit him without the helmet, he might not have been alive today,” Seema said.
She urged lawmakers to acknowledge the challenges encountered by officers during public demonstrations, calling for a broader discussion on the risks faced by police personnel.
“I want to appeal to those sitting in Parliament that there should be a discussion on the kind of hardships these police officers face,” she said.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi snapped at reporters outside the Parliament when asked about the allegations made by the families.
“Are you from the BJP,” he asked the journalists, as reported by News18.