NEW DELHI: Family members of Delhi Police personnel injured during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest shared their ordeal on Friday, recounting the fear, trauma and emotional toll they endured after the violence at Jantar Mantar.
Addressing a press conference, the daughter of a Delhi Police sub-inspector alleged that her father was dragged into a violent mob and nearly lynched while performing his duty. She said the incident left her family deeply shaken.
“My father is a sub-inspector with the Delhi Police. Before joining the force, he served in the Indian Navy for 15 years. On the day of the incident, he was deployed near the barricades at the main protest site, where a massive crowd had gathered. Every night after returning home during the protests, he would tell us that the agitation no longer appeared to be a student protest and that many anti-social elements had joined the crowd,” she said.
“On July 25, my father was dragged away by a violent mob near the stage at Jantar Mantar. He was almost lynched around 2 pm and remained unconscious for nearly four hours at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital. Around 10 pm, his colleagues brought him home, and his uniform was completely soaked in blood,” she alleged.
She said the sight of her injured father was heartbreaking. “When we asked him what had happened, he simply smiled and said, ‘It’s nothing, beta. Minor injuries are part of the job.’ But four stitches on his head were not a minor injury. That night was one of the hardest nights of our lives.”
The son of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who was also injured during the incident, said he frequently came across social media posts and videos using derogatory language against police personnel.
“All I see are accusations against the police. No one talks about their side of the story. My father always tells me not to pay attention to such things. But after what happened to him, I felt deeply disappointed. I later learned that the people who allegedly attacked the police had themselves filed complaints against the force. That is when I, along with many other police families, approached the court because we, too, have rights,” he said.
The wife of an ACP described the night of July 20 as one of the most traumatic moments of her life.
“My husband returned home injured that night. Watching him in that condition was heartbreaking for me and our two-year-old daughter. No family should have to go through such pain. Today, I stand alongside other Delhi Police families to share our experiences and present our side of the story,” she said.