New Delhi: Delhi police reported that they have apprehended four men in connection with incidents where groups linked to right-wing organizations threatened and assaulted Cockroach Janta Party protesters and journalists in Connaught Place and near the MCD Civic Centre. The detained individuals claimed to be members of the Hindu Raksha Dal, according to law enforcement authorities.
The suspects were identified as Raman Saini and Vivekanand, both residents of Delhi, alongside Kapil Kumar and Ravinder Singh, both hailing from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. During the weekend confrontations, individuals also shouted slogans and targeted journalists, with one person heard shouting accusations of broadcasting fake news regarding the CJP and declaring intentions to protect the police.
A senior police official stated that the detained men claimed they attacked the protesters because they had been confronted earlier. However, investigators noted they found no evidence to substantiate the claim that CJP demonstrators had accosted the suspects. Reporters on the ground witnessed protesters being beaten in front of police personnel at Connaught Place, while confrontations near the MCD Civic Centre escalated as individuals began dragging, assaulting, and threatening demonstrators on the streets.
Footage shared widely on social media captured protesters being slapped, kicked, and physically dragged. Following a purported video that showed a young woman being dragged and thrashed, senior police officers took cognizance of the material and registered a case, leading to the identification and apprehension of the suspects.
Separately, a 14-year-old girl who had previously staged a protest involving right-wing content creator Swatantra Bhardwaj alleged that she was followed by two men in Connaught Place on Saturday. She stated that a larger group subsequently gathered around her, hurling abuses, questioning her involvement in the protests, and shouting at her over perceived disrespect toward the prime minister. She credited bystanders with intervening to prevent an attack before police arrived at the scene.