Police Families Speak Out After Jantar Mantar Protest Violence

New Delhi, July 31, 2026 The recent exam paper leak protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has sparked concerns beyond the confrontation itself, with families of Delhi Police personnel describing the fear and trauma they experienced after their loved ones were injured while on duty. They said the officers were carrying out their responsibilities and should not be portrayed as aggressors or criminals. “Behind a uniform, there is not just a policeman. Behind him is his mother, father, wife, children, and the entire family who wait late into the night for him to return home safely,” a woman told reporters. Delhi University student Kunjal said his father, a sub-inspector and former Marine Commando in the Indian Navy, was deployed near the barricades at the main protest site. He said his father was pulled by a mob near the stage on the 25th and was almost lynched, later remaining unconscious in hospital for around four hours. His colleagues brought him home at about 10 pm, with his uniform covered in blood and four stitches on his head. Kunjal said his father told him, “child, it's nothing, minor injuries keep happening while on duty”. He also expressed hurt over social media posts portraying his father as a “criminal”. Seema, whose husband is an assistant sub-inspector and joined the force as a constable 33 years ago, said he was injured while deployed during the protest. She said the crowd became aggressive and police personnel were attacked with flowerpots, slippers, shoes and stones. “The helmet provided to my husband for his duty was completely shattered. If a piece of stone had hit his head after the helmet broke, he might not be in this world today,” she said. She appealed to political leaders to hear the concerns of police families, saying, “the only narrative being pushed is that the student protest was brutally suppressed and students were beaten by the police.” Lakshya Singh Bisht, whose father is an assistant commissioner of police with four gallantry awards, also recalled his fear after seeing his father injured and requiring stitches. The protest, led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the exam paper leak, was called off after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister. The CJP was founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate who recently returned to India to lead the protest. The accounts of the police families have added another perspective to the controversy, drawing attention to the risks faced by personnel and the families waiting for them to return home safely.