NHRC orders inquiry into minors at Mumbai protest

The National Human Rights Commission has opened an inquiry into allegations that minors were mobilised at a Cockroach Janta Party protest in Mumbai on October 2, directing police and other authorities to investigate, preserve evidence and protect the children. The allegations have not been established, and the Commission has not concluded that the children were deliberately recruited or used to deter police action. The NHRC issued notices to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, X’s India grievance officer and Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Department. It sought action-taken reports, with supporting documents, within one week of each notice being received. The complaints cited photographs, videos and purported group-chat discussions related to the protest at Shivaji Park. They alleged that minors’ participation had been discussed in advance and that their age might discourage police from detaining them. The Commission said the claims required examination; the supplied accounts do not independently establish the authenticity or full context of the communications.