Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has registered a separate case to investigate the alleged role of 2,873 people with criminal records identified at the July Chalo Sansad march.
The march was held on July 20 and organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, which called for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged leaks of NEET-UG exam papers. Pradhan resigned on July 25, after which the party called off its month-long protest.
Police had said more than 200 officers and over 65 protesters were injured during the march, while more than 15 police vehicles were damaged. The police said more than 2,800 people with criminal records were involved in clashes and stone-throwing. Those figures are police claims, not findings by a court.
On September 1, the Supreme Court ordered the quashing of criminal cases against protesters in nationwide demonstrations linked to the Cockroach Janta Party. It allowed police to register a fresh, specific case against 2,873 people who police said had been identified by facial-recognition technology at the Jantar Mantar protest site.
Police subsequently cancelled 17 earlier cases. Investigators now plan to verify whether the identified people were present at the march and reconstruct how the clashes unfolded. The probe will also examine alleged attacks on officers, property damage and possible links between those identified and youth or student organisations.