Student and youth activists representing the National Students' Union of India and the Youth Congress addressed a joint press conference in Delhi alongside senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging severe police brutality, torture, and illegal detention during recent demonstrations in the national capital. Detainees, including female students from Delhi University, detailed physical assaults by police personnel inside detention buses and police stations, specifically pointing to instances of beatings and injuries sustained near Connaught Place.
Rahul Gandhi addressed the gathering to express solidarity with the demonstrators, urging young people to keep video evidence of any high-handedness for potential legal action. He asserted that the united voice of the youth cannot be silenced by state action. The Congress party accused authorities of orchestrating arbitrary detentions, utilizing makeshift lockups near Rajiv Chowk, and suppressing peaceful democratic demonstrations.
The demonstrations in central Delhi, sparked by the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, have drawn widespread controversy following extensive police action and detentions since October 10. Initial detentions reached nearly 7,000 on the first day alone, fueling intense political debate over the proportionality of law enforcement conduct. While opposition leaders and student groups shared accounts of manhandling and physical abuse in custody, Delhi Police have denied the allegations.
Individual demonstrators shared harrowing accounts of their time in custody. A protestor named Arjun recounted being picked up from Connaught Place alongside journalists, lawyers, and minors, stating that detainees had their mobile phones confiscated and faced physical assault inside transport vehicles before being relocated to Pandwala Khurd. Another student reported severe mistreatment and fabricated First Information Reports following custody at the Parliament Street police station.
Female activists provided specific accounts of abuse during detention. Content creator Amit stated that peaceful demonstrators were detained and had their phones wiped by police. Meanwhile, National Students' Union of India members detailed being dragged, scratched, and kicked by personnel inside detention buses and the Connaught Place station. An activist from Kerala and Delhi University student named Adira recounted sustaining injuries after being beaten in an area lacking surveillance cameras, alleging targeted assaults to her face, ears, and body.
In parallel to the political fallout over custody conditions, Delhi Police launched an investigation into the deployment of artificial intelligence tools during the protests. The department's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit stated that multiple portals and social media accounts are circulating provocative content and fake videos featuring AI-generated reporters presented as ground journalists. Authorities noted that several suspicious IP addresses have been traced to Pakistan, prompting police to register an FIR, request the takedown of malicious accounts, and collaborate with fact-checking organizations to counter misleading digital narratives.