Protestors allege ‘illegal’ detentions at India Gate protest against pollution; police deny charges

Environmental groups on Friday accused the Delhi Police of “illegally” detaining protesters, including women and minors, during the November 9 demonstration at India Gate against the capital’s worsening air quality.

Police, however, denied the allegations and said the detentions were made only because the gathering was held without mandatory permission. The national capital has been battling severe air pollution for several days. On Tuesday, Delhi’s AQI first entered the ‘severe’ category — a level that can impact even healthy individuals — after crossing 400. The city continued to record ‘severe’ air quality until Thursday, before a slight improvement pushed it into the ‘very poor’ category on Friday.

Scientists for Society, Himkhand, and other groups said at a press conference that their members, along with several parents and environmental activists, were picked up by the police despite staging a peaceful protest. They claimed that some women were taken to Narela late at night and dropped off without any support to return home. The organisers further alleged that minors were also detained during the operation.

“These arrests were arbitrary. Women were left in unfamiliar areas at night. Even minors were picked up,” a representative of the groups claimed.

However, a police officer refuted the allegations after detentions were done on the day of the protest, asserting that no child was detained and that the police acted strictly as per law.

“India Gate is not a designated protest site. Permission must be taken from the DCP office to hold any assembly, and only Jantar Mantar is notified for such gatherings. The detentions were preventive and made to maintain law and order. Not even a single minor was detained,” the officer said. DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla added that the action was taken to avoid security obstructions in the area.

Scores of citizens, including many mothers accompanied by children, had gathered at India Gate on Sunday to demand urgent government measures to combat the toxic air, with Delhi’s AQI touching the “severe” category.

At the press conference, the groups accused the government of downplaying pollution levels and ignoring the implementation of Stage IV restrictions despite an AQI of 418 being recorded on November 12. They said the government’s failure to curb emissions and regulate construction and industry reflected “negligence prioritising profit over public health”.

The groups also issued a set of demands, including the formation of a Jan Samiti to monitor pollution, strict action against erring industries, free treatment for pollution-related illnesses, a construction ban with worker protections, alternatives to stubble burning, expanded public transport access, and the withdrawal of FIRs against five protesters.