NSUI FIR Row: 18 Members Arrested After Delhi Protest

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has accused the Delhi Police of filing “false FIRs” against 18 of its members following violence during a protest in the Parliament Street area over demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and arrest.

Delhi Police has registered four FIRs in connection with the alleged violence and said 18 people were arrested and produced before a court. The cases relate to allegations including an attack on a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants.

NSUI has rejected the allegation that its members deliberately attacked a police or security officer with a knife. The student organisation claimed that the injury to the CISF personnel occurred during the detention of its members amid police barricading.

The competing accounts have turned the protest into a broader dispute over police action, the conduct of demonstrations and allegations concerning the electoral process.

NSUI Calls FIRs Against Members False

NSUI on Tuesday alleged that Delhi Police had registered false cases against 18 members following Monday’s protest in central Delhi.

The organisation strongly denied the allegation that one of its members attacked a CISF constable with a knife. According to NSUI, the officer’s injury occurred while police were detaining protesters near barricades.

NSUI said the cases were being used to put pressure on and intimidate its workers. The student body also criticised the police action and said it would continue to stand by the members facing legal proceedings.

The organisation stated that it would not be intimidated by what it described as “fake cases” and called on authorities to stop filing cases against its members.

The allegations made by NSUI are contested by the police account of the incident. Delhi Police has said that a CISF constable was allegedly attacked with a knife while he was taking a protester away from near a barricade.

Four FIRs Registered Over Parliament Street Violence

Delhi Police has registered four FIRs in connection with the alleged violence during Monday’s NSUI protest.

According to officials, the cases include allegations concerning the attack on a CISF personnel, rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their duties.

Police said 18 people were arrested in connection with the alleged violence and subsequently produced before a court.

The most serious allegation involves CISF constable Bikram Kumar. Officials said Kumar was allegedly attacked with a knife while he was taking a protester away from an area near a barricade.

The constable suffered a minor injury to his right elbow and was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for medical examination and treatment. Police said the accused protester was detained and legal action was initiated.

The circumstances surrounding the injury are disputed by NSUI, which maintains that its members did not deliberately attack the officer and that the injury occurred during the police action against protesters.

Police Examine CCTV and Other Evidence

Delhi Police is examining CCTV footage and other available evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events during the protest.

The footage is expected to be important in determining how the confrontation developed and identifying the roles played by individual protesters during the alleged violence.

Police are also examining recordings from the protest area as part of the investigation into the alleged attack, rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants.

The use of CCTV and other evidence is particularly significant because the accounts of the police and NSUI differ over the circumstances surrounding the injury to the CISF constable.

Rather than relying solely on competing statements, investigators are expected to use available video evidence and other material to establish the sequence of events.

Why NSUI Was Protesting

The protest was organised by NSUI over demands for the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The student organisation has alleged irregularities in the electoral process and has repeatedly raised concerns over what it describes as “vote chori”. NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar led Monday’s demonstration.

The protesters accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address their concerns and demanded accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner.

The allegations made by NSUI are political claims and have not been established as facts through the police action arising from Monday’s protest. The dispute over the electoral process is part of a broader political debate surrounding the revision of electoral rolls.

‘Living Dead’ Protest at NSUI Headquarters

Before the confrontation in the Parliament Street area, NSUI members staged a symbolic “living dead” demonstration near the organisation’s headquarters on Raisina Road.

Protesters used the demonstration to highlight what they described as threats to voters’ rights and concerns over the electoral process. They subsequently attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar.

Members carried placards and raised slogans including “vote ki chori nahi chalegi, janta ki awaaz nahi dabegi”, expressing opposition to what they alleged were irregularities in the electoral system.

The demonstration was led by Vinod Jakhar, WHO demanded the resignation and arrest of Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest later became tense as demonstrators attempted to move through areas where police had established barricades and security arrangements.

How the Protest Turned Violent

The demonstration was initially centred on NSUI’s political demands, but the situation later escalated into clashes and alleged acts of violence.

According to police, a CISF constable was allegedly attacked with a knife while attempting to remove a protester from near a barricade. The officer suffered a minor injury to his elbow.

Police subsequently registered multiple FIRs covering different alleged offences. The cases were not limited to the reported attack on the CISF personnel but also included allegations of rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants.

NSUI has disputed the police version concerning the knife allegation and has accused authorities of using the cases to intimidate its members.

The investigation into the incidents is expected to determine the circumstances of the confrontation and the individual roles of those arrested.

CEC Resignation Demand Linked to SIR Debate

The NSUI protest came amid a series of demonstrations in Delhi concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The revision exercise has become the subject of a wider political dispute, with opposition groups and student organisations raising allegations about the electoral process and demanding greater accountability from election authorities.

NSUI has connected its protest directly to these concerns, arguing that the Election Commission has not adequately addressed allegations related to “vote chori”.

The demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and arrest was therefore at the centre of Monday’s demonstration.

At the same time, the police investigation into the alleged violence is a separate legal process. The allegations made by protesters and the charges being examined by police will have to be assessed independently.

Earlier FIRs Over SIR Protests

The latest cases come after Delhi Police had already registered FIRs over demonstrations held in the capital in connection with demands concerning the Chief Election Commissioner and the SIR exercise.

Police had registered cases following Friday’s demonstrations under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to disobedience of lawful orders, obstruction and alleged assault or use of force against public servants.

The earlier cases formed part of a series of protests in Delhi involving student organisations, political groups and civil society activists.

The continuing demonstrations have increased political tension around the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision exercise, while police have focused on regulating gatherings and preventing disruptions in central Delhi.

NSUI Says Members Are Being Targeted

NSUI has framed the latest police action as an attempt to pressure its workers rather than a legitimate response to violence.

The organisation has specifically rejected the allegation involving the CISF constable and said the officer was injured during the process of detaining protesters near police barricades.

NSUI’s position is that the FIRs are being used to intimidate members who participated in the protest. The organisation has pledged to continue supporting those facing the cases.

Police, on the other hand, have said the cases were registered in response to alleged offences during the protest and that evidence is being examined to determine individual responsibility.

The difference between these accounts means that the CCTV footage and other evidence under review could become central to establishing what happened during the confrontation.

What the Investigation Will Establish

The immediate legal question is whether the evidence supports the allegations recorded in the four FIRs and what role each of the 18 arrested individuals allegedly played in the incidents.

Investigators are examining CCTV footage and other recordings to reconstruct the events around the barricades and determine the circumstances in which the CISF constable suffered his injury.

The inquiry will also cover the allegations of rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants. Each allegation will have to be assessed against the available evidence and the actions attributed to individual protesters.

For NSUI, the central issue is whether its members were wrongly implicated. For police, the investigation concerns whether protesters committed the offences recorded in the FIRs.

Those competing positions are likely to remain at the centre of the dispute as the legal proceedings move forward.

Political Protest and Legal Action Now Intersect

The NSUI protest was organised around a political demand for the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and broader allegations concerning the electoral process. The demonstration subsequently resulted in police cases and arrests after alleged violence in the Parliament Street area.

NSUI says the FIRs against 18 members are false and intended to intimidate its workers. Delhi Police maintains that four cases were registered over alleged violence, including the reported attack on a CISF constable, rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants.

With CCTV footage and other evidence now being examined, the investigation will be important in determining how the confrontation unfolded and whether the allegations against individual protesters are supported by evidence.

The episode also adds to a series of demonstrations in Delhi surrounding the SIR exercise and demands directed at the Election Commission. As the political debate continues, the legal proceedings arising from Monday’s protest will determine the factual and legal questions surrounding the arrests and FIRs.