The Mumbai Police on Thursday suspended a police driver after an inquiry was ordered into a viral video purportedly showing him threatening student protesters with fabricated criminal cases if they returned to protest.
In the widely shared clip, the driver is heard warning students that drugs would be planted on them, threatening to book them under narcotics charges if they participated in any demonstrations.
The Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest in Delhi is drawing widespread support across multiple states, with numerous students and activists organising solidarity rallies.
The constable has been identified as Pawan Sangle, who is currently posted at Sion police station. Pending the outcome of the investigation, the driver seen in the video in uniform has been removed from his current posting.
"After verifying the facts, the driver concerned has been removed from his present posting till the completion of the inquiry," the official said.
The video shows a group of students in a police van, apparently detained from the protest site. A policeman in the front seat is heard telling them to go home and not return to the protest.
"If you are seen again here, I will ruin your lives," the policeman tells the students in the video.
He then goes on to say that he will frame them in a fake drug case.
"I will put 50-50 grams of powder in your bags, and your life will be finished," the policeman is heard saying in the video.
He then tells the protesters that their protests have made his life difficult.
Amid this, Mumbai Police's tactics to contain the student protests, including digital tracking of protesters and home visits, have also come under scrutiny.
Several students alleged that police used live location tracking requests, home visits, and phone calls to prevent young demonstrators from returning to the streets during the CJP's protests. Some protesters further alleged that prolonged detentions were explicitly meant to wear them out and discourage them from participating in subsequent demonstrations.
A representative of Mumbai Against Suppression of Students informed that most who took part in the Monday and Tuesday protests were served notices.
Posting the video, the Mumbai unit of the Congress said: "A viral video claims that @MumbaiPolice is threatening protesting students that if they return to demonstrate again, they will be framed in false drug cases and forced to rot in jail for their entire lives."
"If this is true, it's not just an attempt to intimidate students, but a direct attack on democratic rights. Raising one's voice is not a crime. Students' questions should be answered with accountability, not threats," the Congress post stated.
