The Delhi Police on Friday issued a written apology after a video showing lawyers alleging they were manhandled at Lodhi Colony Police Station while trying to assist detained student protesters went viral on social media.
In a written statement released on Friday, Head Constable Vikrant offered an unconditional apology to a group of lawyers who had reached the police station on Thursday evening to represent three students detained by police over the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest.
The written apology, accessed by NDTV, states: "I, Head Constable Vikrant, hereby express my unconditional and heartfelt apology for my misbehaviour and inappropriate conduct toward the advocates during the incident that occurred on JUly 23 at Lodhi Colony Police Station."
The head constable also acknowledged the important role of the legal fraternity in the justice delivery system.
"Upon introspection after the incident, I have fully realised that my conduct was not in line with the dignity, duties, and discipline expected of a police officer. My behavior was improper, inappropriate, and extremely unfortunate, for which I deeply regret," the letter reads.
Videos of the confrontation circulated widely on social media on Thursday night. One video appeared to show lawyers confronting police personnel over the detention of protesters. Another video later showed the head constable apologising to the lawyers.
NDTV spoke to lawyers who were present during the incident.
Lawyer Umesh Kumar said they learnt around 4 pm on July 23 that three students had been detained at Lodhi Colony Police Station. He along with Advocate Rajnish Kumar, a woman advocate and three other lawyers went to the police station to provide legal assistance.
"At around 6.30 pm, we reached the police station and enquired with the duty officer about the students. The duty officer asked us to contact PSI Rakesh, but he did not respond to our calls. We repeatedly requested other police officials to allow us to meet the SHO. After waiting for nearly one-and-a-half hours, we finally met SHO Ravinder Kumar Tyagi, who denied on camera that the students had been detained and asked us to leave the police station," Umesh Kumar told NDTV.
"A short while later, three women advocates informed us that they had met the three students inside the police station and that they were indeed being detained. We were shocked," he added.
According to Kumar, the lawyers then urged police to release the students, arguing that neither their families had been informed nor had lawyers been allowed to meet them. He also alleged that the students had not been informed of the grounds for their detention.
"At around 9 pm, we again requested that the students be released. The SHO then directed the head constable and other officials to remove us from the police station," he alleged.
Kumar further claimed that police personnel manhandled lawyers as well as a woman journalist present at the scene. He said 21 detainees, including the three students, were later released.
According to the lawyers, senior members of the legal fraternity intervened after videos of the incident went viral, following which the written apology was issued by the head constable.
