Delhi: 22 arrested for allegedly assaulting police at air pollution protest

The Delhi Police has arrested 22 persons for allegedly obstructing its personnel, assaulting them and blocking the road during a protest against worsening air pollution in the national capital on Sunday, reported The Indian Express.

This came after the protesters allegedly used pepper spray on police personnel while being removed from the protest site.

Most of those arrested are college students, according to The Indian Express.

The police told a Delhi court that they were also investigating “any Naxal links” as the protesters had allegedly shouted “slogans in support of Naxalites”, the newspaper reported. They were also probing if the protesters had displayed posters of Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, who was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitarama Raju district on November 18.

Two first information reports have been filed in the case.

In the first, six persons were produced before the court, following which five were remanded to two days' judicial custody. Another person was sent to an observation home under the Juvenile Justice Act while his age was being verified.

The second FIR, involving 17 persons, including 11 women, was heard by Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga on Monday. They were sent to judicial custody for three days, PTI reported.

The police told the court that no permission had been sought for the protest.

“On Sunday, the protesters blocked the C-Hexagon after jumping over police barricades,” PTI quoted an unidentified police official as saying. “They sat on the road for over an hour, and even people stuck in the traffic jam were requesting them to clear the way, but they did not leave despite repeated requests.”

Another officer told The Indian Express that the protesters used pepper spray, manhandled women personnel and later scuffled with police again at the Parliament Street station.

On the other hand, some protesters have alleged that they were assaulted and that women were groped in custody.

“The allegations are serious and the matter is at an early stage of investigation,” The Indian Express quoted the judge as saying. “Identity verification of several accused persons is pending and digital electronic evidence is yet to be examined.”

The protests come as Delhi's average air quality has stood at the higher end of the “very poor” category in November despite restrictions to curb pollution. Since mid-October, the air quality in the national capital has dipped to “poor” or worse categories.

Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world's most polluted capital.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.

Also read: Why air quality numbers in Delhi vary widely

Source: Scroll
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