The Delhi Police on Sunday suspended a female constable and a male head constable for “unprofessional conduct” after they were accused of snatching a photojournalist’s camera during a march to Parliament organised by students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Friday. Madhur Verma, the public relations officer of the Delhi Police, said a vigilance committee inquiry had found the two officers guilty of “mishandling the journalist’s camera during crowd control”, PTI reported.
Two journalists had filed separate complaints accusing the police of assaulting and molesting reporters at the site of the JNU protest. Students had organised the march along with members of the JNU Teachers’ Association to protest against a number of administration policies, including the compulsory attendance rule and the removal of several department heads.
The police had halted the march near Delhi’s INA Market before using water cannons against the demonstrators. Students and teachers also accused the police of using batons against the protestors, injuring many and detaining a few of them. Journalists were also targeted during the clashes, and in protest, they staged a demonstration outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Saturday.
The Delhi Police have charged 22 JNU students with rioting, obstructing public servants from carrying out their duty, assaulting public servants on duty, damage to public property and using words or gestures to “outrage the modesty of women”. They filed a first information report at the Sarojini Nagar Police Station on Saturday.
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