A nursing student carried a first-aid pouch. A delivery rider arrived after finishing work. A labourer travelled hundreds of kilometres by train.
By the end of July 20, all three were among the protesters being treated for fractures, bruises and pellet injuries.
At least 60 participants were injured on Monday, according to Delhi Police, as protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in response to the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) call for a march to Parliament. The march was part of the ongoing agitation over alleged exam irregularities and the demand for the resignation of the Union education minister.
According to sources, 186 injured people had been brought to the RML Hospital emergency department by 8 am on Tuesday.
Of them, 89 were police personnel.
Meanwhile, 96 patients were referred to the surgery department for treatment, including plaster casts and stitches.
19-year-old Nagma Parveen travelled from Aligarh carrying a small first-aid pouch. A nursing student, she had volunteered to assist injured protesters. Instead, she ended up requiring treatment after she was pushed into barricades and fell to the ground, fracturing her foot.
For 22-year-old Rakesh Kumar, the day began with a delivery shift. The Ghaziabad resident completed an early morning food delivery round before joining the march.
Kumar said his 18-year-old younger brother was preparing for NEET next year and that he had joined the protest in solidarity with students who had died and with those, like his brother, who were still preparing for the examination. He said he was beaten during the lathi charge after falling to the ground.
When an elderly protester stumbled, Kumar said he turned to help him.
A blow landed on his left shoulder. It was only later that he noticed a deep puncture wound near his collarbone. "At first, I thought someone had hit me with a stick. When my shirt got wet, I looked down and saw blood," Kumar said, alleging that the lathi had nails on it.
Another protester, 28-year-old Talha, travelled from Patna to Delhi on Friday. A day later, activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly taken to Safdarjung Hospital by police.
Talha said he had joined the sit-in at Jantar Mantar over unemployment and inflation. He alleged that police beat him during Monday's protest, leaving him with a fractured right leg.
"My friend Ankit and I came here by train. Only my mother knew I was here. She was already sceptical after Saturday's incident, but after she saw videos of the protest, she has been constantly calling me. What do I tell her? What happened during the protest wasn't right. Don't policemen also have families?" he said.
For 25-year-old Sheikh Irfad Mansoori, the injuries were more severe.
The Gurugram resident had joined the protest at Connaught Place when he was allegedly hit by pellets fired by an RPF personnel, according to his friend Aniket.
Mansoori was brought to Lady Hardinge Hospital at around 5 pm on Monday and underwent surgery on Tuesday after sustaining seven pellet injuries to his face.
"The pellets struck his nose, forehead, both eyes and cheeks. He was conscious when we brought him to the hospital yesterday. He is currently under anaesthesia," he said, adding that Mansoori's family in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was unaware of the severity of his injuries.
While Delhi Police on Tuesday rejected claims that its personnel used pellet guns against protesters during the march, there was no official information on whether RPF personnel had used pellet guns that day.
At RML Hospital, 21-year-old Sakshi is recovering from injuries sustained in a stampede-like situation near Jantar Mantar and Tolstoy Marg. The Chhattarpur Extension resident suffered injuries to her face, chest and neck and was admitted to the intensive care unit. She had attended the protest with her cousin, who also sustained a leg injury.
On Wednesday, hospital authorities said she had been taken off ventilator support. She was conscious, breathing on her own and responding appropriately to commands. Her MRI scans of the brain and spine were normal, they said.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Delhi University student and CJP volunteer, wearing the organisation's neon-yellow shirt, suffered a hairline fracture in her hand and multiple bruises. She said the alleged assault by male police personnel had made the experience even more traumatic.
(With inputs from PTI)