Delhi Police Identify 2,873 Protesters With Criminal Records at Jantar Mantar
Delhi Police officials have identified at least 2,873 people with alleged criminal antecedents among demonstrators who attended a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation at Jantar Mantar. According to police officials, nearly 989 of those identified were allegedly linked to heinous offences.
The identification exercise was conducted using technical surveillance, which involved analyzing video footage from multiple sources alongside the Delhi Police’s facial recognition system. The exercise came amid criticism from several protesters and media personnel, who accused police of profiling demonstrators through mobile surveillance units stationed around Jantar Mantar and using facial recognition to perform on-the-spot background checks.
Delhi Police declined to officially authenticate the figures or place them on record. Officials did not share the names of the identified individuals, details of the criminal cases against them, photographs, or supporting video footage. However, senior police officers defended the surveillance, stating that monitoring was maintained solely to identify and track individuals with criminal backgrounds present at the protest site.
According to information shared by police officials, 101 of those identified had previously been booked in murder cases. Among these, 42 individuals were allegedly involved in two or more murder cases, while 12 had been booked in ten or more murder cases. Another 62 people were identified in connection with attempted murder cases, including 25 who faced two or more such cases.
Police figures further alleged that 284 identified protesters were linked to robbery and dacoity cases, with 155 booked in multiple instances. A total of 229 identified individuals had previously been booked under the Arms Act, while 135 were linked to snatching cases and 19 to kidnapping cases.
The list also included individuals accused of offences against women and children. According to police officials, 61 individuals had been booked in rape cases, including eight who faced two or more cases. Six others had been booked under the POCSO Act, and 135 were involved in sexual harassment cases.
