‘My father was almost lynched’: Families of injured cops during CJP protest speak out

NEW DELHI: “My father was almost lynched,” said the daughter of a police personnel injured during the CJP protest said at a press meet on Friday, while recalling the violence that broke out on July 20.She said her father, who had served in the Indian Navy for 15 years, was deployed at the front line near the barricades during the protest.“Before joining the police, my father served as a Marine Commando in the Indian Navy. He dedicated 15 years of his life to the Indian Navy. My father was present at the main protest site. He was on the front line near the barricades, where there was a large crowd, ” the daughter of a Delhi Police SI who sustained injuries during the protest told ANI.She also said that when her father returned home, he told the family that the situation no longer appeared to be a protest, as anti-social elements had entered the scene.“Whenever my father came home at night, he used to say that the protest no longer seemed like a student protest. Many antisocial elements had become involved in it. The very next day, on the 25th, my father was pulled by a rowdy mob and was almost lynched near the stage at Jantar Mantar. This happened on the 25th at around 2:00pm. He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours. Around 10:00pm, his colleagues brought him home, and his uniform was completely stained with blood. It was extremely painful for us to see him in that condition, ” she said.“When I opened social media, I saw that my father was being called a criminal. The very next day, I came to know that the people who had attacked my father were approaching the Supreme Court to wash away their crimes and were filing complaints against him and all the police personnel. I felt very hurt and decided that I should also seek justice for my father. I received support from other police families, and we went to the Supreme Court. We requested an advocate to present our case before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The advocate assured us that we, too, have equal rights as citizens of this country and that we would also get justice, ” said added.She alleged that later, around 2pm, he was attacked, pulled by a mob, and narrowly escaped being lynched.Another family member also spoke about the incident. The wife of a Delhi Police ACP, who was injured during the clash between police personnel and CJP protesters, said that seeing her husband return home injured was an extremely painful and traumatic experience for her and their two-year-old daughter.“The moment he returned home late on the night of July 20, injured as he was, was incredibly painful and traumatic for both me and my two-year-old daughter. I am accompanied here by other family members of Delhi Police personnel, and we wish to share our ordeal with you,” the ACP’s wife said.She said the families of the injured personnel wanted to highlight their experiences and share the difficulties they faced following the violence.“The miscreants who attempted to disrupt the students’ protest, tarnish its image, and undermine the dignity of Parliament should be held accountable for their actions and should not be spared. At the same time, the students should be released after their records are verified,” another family member of an injured policeman told ANI.The families of the injured personnel addressed a press briefing on Friday, condemning the violence and expressing concern over the safety of officers on duty.The kin of the injured police personnel alleged that the situation escalated beyond a peaceful demonstration, putting the lives of security personnel at risk.They criticised the violence during the Gen Z-led protest and questioned the attacks on police personnel who were carrying out their responsibilities.