Now Reading: Delhi Police tells Supreme Court it used maximum restraint at CJP march
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Delhi Police tells Supreme Court it used maximum restraint at CJP march
Delhi Police tells Supreme Court it used maximum restraint at CJP march
Delhi Police have told the Supreme Court that personnel exercised 'maximum restraint' and used only 'minimum required force' during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) 'Chalo Sansad' march on 20 July, denying allegations of excessive force. In an affidavit, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma rejected claims that police used nail-fitted lathis, saying a solitary video showed a stick with a national flag, possibly carried by a protester, and that no medico-legal certificate documented nail injuries.
The police said about 5,000 personnel were deployed to manage more than 30,000 protesters, with over 240 police and 200 protesters injured. On the use of facial recognition technology, the police said it flagged 2,873 individuals with criminal records, including murder and rape cases, and that investigations will be restricted to those flagged. Livemint reports the police also defended deploying plainclothes officers as 'spotters' from Special Branch and Crime Branch, saying this is standard practice at large gatherings. Hindustan Times notes the police have told the court they would cooperate with any committee it proposes to examine whether force was excessive.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Livemint framed the Delhi Police affidavit as a defensive rebuttal, leading with the denial of nail-fitted lathis and the claim of 'maximum restraint,' while embedding the admission that 2,873 flagged protesters had criminal records deep in the text. Hindustan Times led instead with the explanation for plainclothes officers, giving that operational detail equal weight and later noting the police's openness to a court-constituted committee on force, which subtly shifts the focus from allegation to process. The critical gap in both accounts is the absence of verified, independent documentation of injuries from nail-studded lathis, neither source weighs medical evidence against the police's blanket denial. A careful reader will note that while both outlets report police's version, they differ in how prominently they present the scale of the counter-allegation: 240 police versus 200 protesters injured. The coming days will reveal whether the Supreme Court accepts the police's proposal for a court-appointed panel to examine the force used, making the committee's composition the next concrete development to watch.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral
Sources (2): livemint.com (pro government), hindustantimes.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
