Delhi Police defend July 20 protest response in Supreme Court affidavit

Delhi Police have defended their actions during a July 20 protest march toward Parliament, telling the Supreme Court that officers used a "graded" response only after demonstrators breached barricades and attempted to advance on the legislature. The police filed a consolidated affidavit in response to four petitions seeking a court-supervised inquiry into allegations of excessive force during the demonstration.

According to the affidavit, the protest at Jantar Mantar, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party over the NEET paper leak, began peacefully but escalated when a call was issued for a "Sansad Chalo" march on July 20, the opening day of Parliament's monsoon session. Police stated that permission had not been sought or granted for such a march, and prohibitory orders were already in force in the area. The gathering, which drew over 30,000 people across a three-kilometer stretch, was declared an unlawful assembly after barricades were breached.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said approximately 5,000 police personnel were deployed to manage the crowd. The affidavit alleges that protesters attacked officers with stones and sticks, and that a group vandalized a...