Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 24: Mumbai Police on Friday rejected allegations that a plainclothes police officer manhandled a woman protester during a demonstration over the alleged NEET paper leak, stating that a viral video of the incident was being misinterpreted.
The clarification came after the footage sparked a political row, with leaders from the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) demanding action against the officer seen in the video.
According to the police, the officer was attempting to restrain a male protester and was looking in another direction when a woman protester inadvertently came between them.
"The officer was holding a male protester and looking elsewhere when the woman protester unintentionally came in between," Mumbai Police said, urging public figures to verify facts before drawing conclusions based on the video.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Akbar Pathan said senior officers had carefully examined the footage before concluding that there was no deliberate misconduct.
Police said no case has been registered in connection with the allegations.
Meanwhile, the Opposition continued to criticise the police action.
Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad shared the video on social media, alleging that the treatment of the woman protester was unacceptable. She also questioned why a male police officer was physically handling a female protester instead of allowing women personnel to intervene.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar also demanded strict action against the officer, calling for his suspension and registration of a criminal case if the allegations were found to be true.
The controversy stems from a protest held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Thursday, where students and activists demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak.
While the Opposition has accused police of using excessive force against protesters, Mumbai Police has maintained that the viral video has been taken out of context and does not depict intentional misconduct by the officer.