New Delhi, December 5 (UNI): Delhi Police on Friday arrested 23 demonstrators in connection with the November 23 India Gate protest , who face serious charges, including assaulting and outraging the modesty of female officers, using chilli spray on a constable, and raising slogans in support of a Naxalite, an official said.
The police submitted an investigation report related to the case to a magisterial court on Thursday.
On November 23, demonstrators gathered to protest the worsening pollution crisis in the national capital. The situation escalated when some protesters reportedly used chilli spray on police officers while being removed from the site and taken to the Parliament Street police station.
At the police station, they were reportedly involved in another altercation with the officers escorting them.
A case was registered at the Kartavya Path police station, and the accused was arrested by the police.
The police report lists allegations including organising the protest, glorifying Madvi Hidma, circulating digital posters, coordinating mobilisation through groups, physically obstructing officers, assaulting female staff, and possessing pepper spray.
According to police, the protest was primarily organised by members of the Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch, which officers described as the “main conspirator group”.
The report notes that several accused can be seen in videos raising slogans in support of Madvi Hidma and obstructing roads near India Gate and Parliament Street.
The first accused, Gurkirat, is identified as the president of BSCEM and the administrator of the group’s channels. Police allege that she, along with two other members, attended an anniversary event of the banned Radical Students’ union in Hyderabad and raised pro-Naxalite slogans.
The report further claims that BSCEM’s social media pages circulated posters “glorifying” Hidma.
Co-accused Anvinash Satapathy, Akshay E R, and Ayishah Wafiyath Midhath are also described as active members of the organisation. Police allege that they participated in slogan-shouting, obstructed officers, dismantled barricades, and circulated posters, with one of them reportedly spraying chilli spray into a constable’s eyes.
The police report also names Vishnu Tiwari, Prakash Kumar Gupta, Vageesha Anudeep, Sameer Fayis, Karina Sunderani, and Priti Rani Chandraker, accusing them of raising slogans, possessing pepper spray, and obstructing the gate of the Parliament Street police station after several protesters were detained.
The report also lists 17 additional accused who allegedly moved from India Gate to Parliament Street following the initial detentions and “obstructed police officials”, prompting separate cases to be registered against each.
Investigators informed the court that the probe is still in its early stages, and the roles assigned to each accused may change as additional digital evidence, mobile phone data, and interrogation findings are examined.
