Delhi Police Crime Branch to Probe ‘Premeditated’ Angle in July CJP Protest Violence

The Crime Branch has registered a case under relevant provisions of law and will investigate the violence reported in New Delhi on July 20.

According to sources, investigators will examine the role of individuals involved in the violence and determine whether the clashes were planned in advance or whether criminal elements infiltrated the protest sites when the CJP called for a march towards Parliament.

The violence involved alleged assaults on police personnel, vandalism and damage to public property, including police vehicles. The probe will focus specifically on these incidents and the circumstances that led to the escalation.

On July 20, around 30,000 protesters gathered in and around Jantar Mantar and attempted to march towards Parliament. The demonstrators were demanding action over alleged paper leaks and irregularities related to examinations.

The situation deteriorated as the protesters moved towards Parliament, leading to clashes between them and the police. The use of force by the police subsequently drew widespread criticism.

Following the violence, the Delhi Police reviewed its intelligence-gathering mechanism. Officials concluded that the force had not received sufficiently detailed and accurate advance information about the expected size of the gathering, the mobilisation of protesters and the involvement of different organisations.

The Special Branch was subsequently directed to strengthen its intelligence inputs and provide more detailed and actionable assessments. The focus was shifted from merely tracking the location of a protest and estimating crowd strength to gathering information that could help authorities assess potential developments and risks.

The investigation comes after the Supreme Court directed the cancellation of 17 FIRs related to the violence. In September, the apex court also quashed FIRs registered against student protesters in Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam in connection with protests held between July 20 and 25.

The Supreme Court further directed that similar cases registered elsewhere in the country in connection with those protests should not be pursued or investigated.

The Crime Branch's current investigation will therefore focus specifically on the violence, including the circumstances surrounding the clashes, the possible involvement of criminal elements and whether there was any prior planning behind the incidents.