CJP Protest Ends: Minors Recall Ordeal Under Police Detention
“It’s our right to go to the protest site. It was legitimate. We don’t want to hurt anyone. The police also said mean things to us. They said: ‘if we see you next time, your returning home will become uncertain,” another student said, claiming that many police personnel at the checkpoint did not have name tags.
A third student said they wanted to visit the site for solidarity and their future. “We all are students. We went there so that we don’t face any (paper leak) problem after Class 12,” a third student said.
The seventh boy, a tailor from West Bengal, along with an adult friend was heading towards New Delhi railway station when they were detained at Nizamuddin around 6 pm on July 23. “They asked us where we were going and coming from. They asked our name, family details and addresses,” he said.
Few months shy of turning 18, the boy said he was released after a few hours.
The boys were among over 60 people who were kept at Badarpur police station on July 23, according to a group of lawyers who provided legal help for release. Today too, more than 20 people were detained at Badarpur.
The police have justified overall detentions to maintain law and order.
“We have not detained anyone until July 20. Stone pelting was done. Protesters and police personnel were injured: 150 from each side. After this, people have been going at an unreasonable time. They are not able to tell their destination and origin. They can’t show (identify) documents. That’s why they were stopped.” said DCP Tiwari.
