Families of Delhi Police personnel injured during a recent protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar held a press conference on Friday, claiming officers were subjected to sustained violence and suffered severe injuries.
By screening the videos showing the attacks on police personnel, the families alleged that anti-social elements had infiltrated the protest and had attacked the police.
They cited that many of the police officers injured during the protest are still undergoing treatment. The kin called for justice for the injured police personnel as well.
"My father was almost lynched," said the daughter of a sub-inspector with the Delhi Police, who was injured during the protest. She added that her father was left unconscious and it had deeply affected them.
Recalling the night her father was brought home, the Delhi University student said his uniform was soaked in blood.
"My father was at the main protest site. He was on the frontlines, near the barricades. He would tell us after returning from the site that it no longer looked like a student protest and that many anti-social elements had joined it," she said.
Police had clashed with the CJP protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 25. "My father was dragged by a rowdy mob and was almost lynched...He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours," she said.
Around 10 pm that night, he was brought home, and his uniform was completely soaked in blood, she added.
She also alleged that attacks on police personnel had not received adequate attention.
"We also have equal rights. We also deserve justice," she further stated.
Before joining the Delhi Police, the injured officer was a Marine Commando.
Seema, the wife of another Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector, said her husband was injured after being hit by stones during the protest march on July 20. He was hospitalised following the attack.
"He told me the crowd had become very aggressive and that anti-social elements had joined it," said Seema.
"The helmet issued to him during duty was completely shattered. Had the stone struck his head after breaking through the helmet, perhaps he would not be alive today. That thought still shakes me," she added.
Lakshya Singh Mehta, whose father is also an Assistant Sub-Inspector with Delhi Police, also made similar allegations. "When I saw his photograph, his head had been shaved, and he had four stitches. I was really frightened," he said.
The families' press conference comes at a time when the Opposition continues to demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over police action and the use of pellet guns during the student protests.
