The Delhi Police will act on the Central government's assurance to withdraw First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against protesters during the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) agitation only after receiving formal communication and guidelines from the competent authority, sources confirmed on Sunday.
15 FIRs Registered Across Delhi
According to police records, 15 FIRs have been registered across various police stations in the New Delhi district in connection with the July 20 violence and related protest incidents. The announcement to withdraw these FIRs was made by Union Minister JP Nadda during a joint press conference on Saturday alongside CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Abhishek Ranka. Nadda stated that the government had agreed to the withdrawal and would issue a written confirmation of the agreed terms by Tuesday.
“We will act according to the guidelines and official communication once received from the competent authority,” a police source said. The source added that the withdrawal of cases would not affect the ongoing investigation into the alleged larger conspiracy behind the clashes.
Investigation into Conspiracy Continues
Investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage, digital records, mobile phone data, and witness statements to reconstruct the events and identify those who planned, incited, or participated in the violence. The police have also employed facial recognition technology to identify more than 2,500 individuals with criminal records or histories of public disorder.
The July 20 clashes left more than 200 police personnel and 70 protesters injured, and caused damage to several government vehicles and other public property, the police said. The conspiracy investigation will proceed independently of the FIR withdrawals, with all collected evidence examined as part of the broader inquiry.
Supreme Court PIL Alleges Excessive Force
Separately, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking FIRs against Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Force personnel over alleged excessive force against students protesting at Jantar Mantar. The protests were organized by the Cockroach Janata Party, demanding reforms in the NEET-UG examination.
The petition calls for an independent investigation, preservation of CCTV and body-camera footage, and compensation for injured protesters. It alleges that peaceful demonstrators faced disproportionate police action, including lathicharges, physical assault, tear gas, and unlawful detentions. The plea further claims that unidentified individuals in plainclothes assaulted protesters while police looked on, a claim the petitioner says warrants independent scrutiny.
Evidence Submitted to Court
The petitioner has submitted a pen drive containing roughly 100 videos, along with photographs and other material, purportedly documenting police violence, assaults, and detentions during the protest. The plea seeks preservation of all electronic evidence, including CCTV, drone and body-camera footage, wireless logs, deployment orders, and social media recordings. It requests a judicial inquiry or independent investigation into the allegations of excessive force, identification of individuals in plain clothes, registration of FIRs where offences are found to have been committed, and compensation for injured protesters.
