DU Student Activists Allege Police Harassment at Shivaji Enclave Residence
Student activists who participated in various demonstrations at Delhi University and other city venues have alleged a sustained pattern of police harassment and intimidation, including regular visits by personnel to a family home in Shivaji Enclave in New Delhi.
Gurkirat, a former Delhi University student and former president of the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, stated that Delhi Police personnel have visited her parents' home in Shivaji Enclave every seven to 10 days for several months. She alleged that personnel in civilian clothes served notices linked to old cases, questioned her whereabouts, and told her parents to restrict her movements.
On August 6, 2026, Gurkirat was arrested while visiting her parents in Delhi in connection with a case stemming from February 2026 protests over University Grants Commission Equity Regulations at Delhi University. Although she was granted bail the same day, she alleged police personnel subsequently warned her that her next case would involve Maoist allegations.
Other students reported similar experiences involving police contacting their families outside the capital. Ilakkiya, a 24-year-old preparing for a PhD in Delhi, alleged that men claiming to be from the Intelligence Bureau and police visited her parents in Erode, Tamil Nadu, and referred to her as an "urban Naxalite." She had previously been detained in March 2026 alongside other students prior to a planned public event at Ambedkar Bhavan, before being released following High Court proceedings.
Additionally, 21-year-old Avinash, an MSc student at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, said police visited his family home in Nimapada, Odisha, to inquire about First Information Reports registered against him. The alleged harassment follows student participation in several demonstrations over the past three years, including a July 20, 2026 protest at Jantar Mantar, December 2025 air pollution protests, and 2023 demonstrations over a BBC documentary. Delhi Police were contacted for a response to the allegations.
