Delhi police accused of beating, assaulting detainees, denying them basic rights

Detainees’ accounts of beatings, assaults, and excessive force used by the Delhi police over the last few days have raised concerns about post-detention practices of law enforcement personnel.

Thousands of protesters have been detained by the police in the national capital on October 10, 11, and 12, including journalists, members of youth organisations, and minors.

There was a fresh slew of detentions on Monday (October 12, 2026) as youth organisations, including the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India (RWPI), and Disha Students’ Organisation, carried out a flash mob rally at Barakhamba Road, protesting the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. They were stopped by the police at Sansad Marg and detained.

Police personnel detain activists, Students of various student organisation at the Connaught Place area, amid continued demonstration calls by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Cannaught Place in New Delhi on October 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Physical, verbal abuse

“We were put inside a prison-looking van, beaten up, and taken to a detention centre. Women protesters were abused verbally and held by the neck by the police,” said RWPI member Vishal.

Another RWPI member, Nishu, said that the police denied requests for water, even after detainees fainted inside the police van. “One of our members fainted and another was feeling dizzy after police detained us brutally from near Jantar Mantar. We shouted and screamed for water but despite having several water bottles with them, they did not give us water,” she said, also displaying the multiple bruises and marks on her hands, face, and legs.