Delhi Police removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar protest site
The Delhi Police executed a pre-planned early morning operation on Saturday to remove climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi. Following his removal, Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital, with authorities citing his deteriorating health and a Delhi High Court order.
The strategy for the operation was finalized during a high-level meeting held after the appointment of the new Delhi Police Commissioner, Anurag Kumar, who took charge on Friday.
To minimize resistance, senior police officers decided to launch the operation at daybreak, when the number of protesters at the Jantar Mantar site was at its lowest. Officials also identified a brief period to act when Wangchuk's close aide, Abhijit Dipke, had temporarily stepped away, leaving the stage without its primary coordinator.
Around 30 to 35 personnel from the New Delhi district's Special Staff and local police, dressed in plain clothes, entered the barricaded protest area. The operation was conducted on a strict need-to-know basis, with only a handful of senior officers aware of the complete plan. Ground-level inspectors and personnel were instructed to report to the site and remain in position without being briefed on the full strategy.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, the activist was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital for essential medical care following expert medical advice and in compliance with the Delhi High Court's orders.
While the police stated that the operation was carried out peacefully, they noted that some protesters attempted to obstruct the officers, leading to a slight commotion. Police officials maintained that they exercised maximum restraint to complete the transfer safely.
Following the operation, the Delhi Police appealed to the remaining protesters at Jantar Mantar to vacate the site peacefully at the earliest.
The operation followed the sudden appointment of Anurag Kumar, a 1994-batch IPS officer and intelligence veteran, as the new Delhi Police commissioner on Friday. Kumar succeeded Satish Golchha in the role.
