Women police personnel lead crowd control efforts during protest

In pink jackets over their uniforms, women police personnel manned barricades, negotiated with protesters and carried out detentions across central Delhi on Saturday (October 10) as demonstrators were prevented from marching towards Jantar Mantar.

Around 3,500 women personnel, including those from the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh police, were deployed, according to Delhi Police data. They were stationed along Ashoka Road, Jantar Mantar Road, Janpath, Connaught Place and Kharak Singh Marg. Buses carrying women personnel moved between locations.

The deployment was evident in the morning when women officers approached Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders aboard a flight from Mumbai before their detention. On the streets, women personnel took the lead in engaging with demonstrators, including young men, while male officers largely remained in the background. They also directed citizens and intercepted groups attempting to reach the protest site.

Near the Connaught Place entrance to Jantar Mantar, an officer said, “We have been asked to ensure that no protesters or journalists enter. We have been assigned to speak to them, ensure they do not crowd the area and prevent them from entering the premises.”

People protesting near Connaught Place in New Delhi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

At Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, where protesters repeatedly sought shelter to evade detention, women officers negotiated with demonstrators and the gurdwara management during a standoff lasting hours. Protesters emerged with banners and slogans before being chased by the police. Women protesters were escorted away by women personnel.

An officer near gate number 4 of gurdwara said women personnel had been instructed to remain firm but calm and persuade protesters to comply with restrictions.

The deployment followed allegations of misconduct during earlier protests. A woman journalist had accused Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat of sexual harassment and manhandling, while videos circulating online purportedly showed male police personnel assaulting women protesters.