Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha on Wednesday accused the Delhi Police of brutally assaulting workers of NSUI, the student wing of the Congress, and another female student who were detained during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the revision of electoral rolls.
He claimed that a woman protester from Kerala had suffered hearing loss in one ear after allegedly being struck by the police.
Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader introduced the woman, Athira, and alleged that she had sustained serious injuries during the police action.
“Athira from Kerala has lost her hearing in one ear. She is deaf in one ear because she was struck on that ear. She can no longer hear. Last time, I showed you a boy who was blinded. Now, she is deaf in one ear,” Gandhi said.
According to Athira, she questioned the absence of a woman police officer, pointing out that a female constable should be present when women protesters are detained. She alleged that the bus subsequently moved and stopped outside the Connaught Place police station, where she was repeatedly hit on the face.
“I am from Kerala, studying at Delhi University. Yesterday, when they detained us, there were no female police officers in the bus. So, I simply asked, ‘Where is the lady police officer or lady constable?’ If they want to detain us, having at least one female constable present is mandatory,” she said.
Athira further alleged that she sustained an eye injury and damage to her ear during the incident.
NSUI worker alleges assault by woman constable
Gandhi also introduced a female NSUI worker who claimed to have been assaulted by a woman constable identified as Chanchal Yadav during the detention of protesters. According to her account, NSUI members were protesting peacefully when police detained them and placed them in three buses. She claimed that each bus carried around 30 to 40 protesters.
She said her bus had two women and around 20 to 30 other NSUI workers. She alleged that after being detained, the protesters attempted to get off the bus and continue their demonstration. They also tried to stop the vehicle and sat beneath it to keep the protest going.
She accused Chanchal Yadav of grabbing her by the neck and pushing her backwards onto a seat. Athira further alleged that the constable scratched her face with her fingernails, leaving marks across her face and near her ear.
“When I resisted her, she slapped me so hard and said, ‘Here, take another slap across your face,” she alleged.
The allegations come amid a political confrontation over the treatment of protesters demonstrating against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.