NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Monday said the protesters detained during the Cockroach Janata Party’s march to Parliament were not students and that their identities were being verified.A senior officer, requesting anonymity, told news agency PTI that Delhi Police had initiated the process of registering FIRs in connection with the clashes, damage to police vehicles and destruction of public property during the protest.According to officials, police are also investigating the motive behind the clashes. They added that even “outer side angles” would be probed.This comes after clashes during which police claimed that stones were pelted at security personnel by the protesters, prompting a lathi-charge.Police sources told PTI that more than 100 protesters were detained from different locations, including Parliament Street, Patel Chowk, Constitution Club, Shastri Bhawan and adjoining areas, and shifted to different police stations and temporary detention centres across Delhi.Several videos showing police caning protesters in response to the alleged attack and preventing them from marching towards Parliament surfaced on social media.According to the officer, the investigation has been intensified and teams are examining video footage, CCTV recordings and other evidence to identify those involved in the violence.“Those found responsible for attacking police personnel, damaging police vehicles and public property will face strict legal action,” the officer said.Police sources said they were verifying the authenticity of all the videos and that appropriate legal action would be taken based on the findings.The officer added that further arrests were likely as the probe progressed and more suspects were identified through technical and field investigations.Police are also scrutinising social media videos and other digital evidence to establish the sequence of events and identify those who allegedly participated in the violence, the officer said.Thousands of protesters converged on central Delhi despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which bars unlawful assemblies except at designated protest sites with prior permission.The march coincided with the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, prompting one of the biggest security deployments in New and Central Delhi.Police claimed that protesters repeatedly attempted to breach multilayered barricades erected around Parliament Street, Jantar Mantar and other sensitive locations, resulting in confrontations with security personnel.
