Delhi Police ADCP Removed After Video of Alleged Slap on Woman Protester Goes Viral, Court Seeks Response
Sunil Negi,
New Delhi: Delhi Police has removed ADCP Sandeep Lamba from protest duty and sent him back to his parent cadre after a video purportedly showing him slapping a woman demonstrator during Monday’s CJP march went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage and a hearing in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
Lamba, an officer of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service, was on the frontline of security arrangements when the Cockroach Janata Party, CJP, tried to take out a march towards Parliament on Monday. Police had barricaded the route near Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street, and what followed was a chaotic sequence of lathicharge and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
In the midst of that, a short clip began circulating online on Monday night. It shows a senior police officer, identified by his nameplate and badge as ADCP Sandeep Lamba, striking a woman protester. The clip was shared widely across X, Instagram and WhatsApp groups, with users demanding action. By Tuesday, senior officers confirmed that Lamba had been withdrawn from the spot and reverted to his original posting pending an inquiry.
The matter reached the Delhi High Court on Wednesday. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan brought the video to the court’s notice during a hearing on the police action against protesters. He told the bench that the officer’s name and badge were clearly visible and that the act appeared to be an unprovoked assault. “We will not be afraid to name uniformed bullies,” he submitted, and asked the court to summon Lamba to explain his conduct. The court took note and asked the Delhi Police to file a status report on the incident and on the overall handling of the protest.
Delhi Police, in its initial response, said the situation had turned violent from both sides. According to officials, on Tuesday night around 10 pm at the Tolstoy Marg and Parliament Street crossing, two RAF personnel were attacked by a group of protesters. A 35-second video now in circulation shows a crowd kicking and punching the jawans, with one of them falling to the ground. Police said five personnel in total sustained injuries in clashes on Wednesday evening as well, including bruises and head injuries.
The confrontation has added fuel to a protest that shows no sign of dying down. At Jantar Mantar, hundreds of students returned on Wednesday for the fourth consecutive day. Tents that were dismantled after Sunday’s crackdown have been put up again. The gathering now includes NEET aspirants, coaching students, young job seekers, women’s groups and some farmers’ representatives. Organisers said the numbers swelled through the day despite heavy police presence around the periphery.
The protesters are reiterating three demands: accountability for the NEET paper leak including resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rs 1 crore compensation for families of students who died by suicide after the leak, and a written assurance that no legal or punitive action will be taken against those who participated peacefully.
The issue has also drawn in Sonam Wangchuk, who is on the 25th day of his hunger strike at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. In a video released from his hospital bed on Wednesday, the Magsaysay awardee and IITian said he was prepared to break his fast immediately if the government assures that protesters will not face harassment and that all cases against them are withdrawn. He said he had met several ruling party ministers and received letters from 65 MPs urging him to end the fast, but the images of lathicharge on Sunday compelled him to continue.
With the High Court seeking answers, an internal police inquiry underway against ADCP Lamba, and both the street and Parliament now focused on the student agitation, the next 48 hours are likely to be decisive. For now, Jantar Mantar remains occupied, slogans are louder, and the demand for a political and administrative response has moved from the road to the courtroom.
