NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have denied using excessive force during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament on July 20.In a counter-affidavit filed in response to petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into alleged police excesses, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma maintained that the protest ceased to remain peaceful after sections of the crowd breached multiple layers of barricades and attempted to move towards Parliament, LiveLaw reported.According to the affidavit, the police used only graded force, with around 5,000 personnel deployed to manage a crowd of more than 30,000 people spread across 3 km.The affidavit stated that the situation became “completely out of control”, leading to clashes in which both protesters and police personnel were injured. More than 240 personnel and uniformed officers, along with around 200 members of the public and protesters, sustained injuries.
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The Delhi Police further argued that the allegation of excessive force could not be sustained given the sheer number of protesters gathered at different locations, claiming that the crowd also included “anti-social elements” and history-sheeters who had infiltrated the protest.