Harvard community of 100 condemns Delhi police brutality during protest
A group of 100 Harvard alumni, students, faculty, and staff have spoken out against what they call police brutality during a recent protest in Delhi.
The demonstration, called by the Coakroach Janta Party (CJP) and several student organizations on October 10, was aimed at raising concerns about alleged election irregularities.
The Harvard group criticized the police for detaining protesters and violating constitutional rights, urging authorities to respect legal standards and protect peaceful dissent.
Harvard group cites over 7,000 detentions
The statement highlighted that more than 7,000 people were detained, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
Specific incidents involving senior advocate Shadan Farasat (a Harvard Law alum manhandled by police while trying to prevent a peaceful protester's detention) and Mehr Pasricha (from Harvard Kennedy School, reportedly detained without cause) were mentioned as well.
The group called for those responsible to be held accountable and emphasized the importance of safeguarding the right to peaceful protest.