In this combo photo, protesters who were arrested on charges of obstructing police personnel during a demonstration at the India Gate over pollution, being produced at Patiala House Court, in New Delhi, on November 24, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Delhi police on Monday (November 24, 2025) arrested 22 people who took part in Sunday’s (November 23, 2025) demonstration at India Gate against the plummeting air quality and produced them before a city court, which remanded them in judicial custody.
Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga sent 17 protesters, including 11 women, to jail for three days. Judicial Magistrate Aridaman Singh Cheema sent the remaining five — all students — to jail for two days while rejecting the plea of one of them seeking relief to appear for college exams scheduled for Tuesday (November 25, 2025). Some women demonstrators alleged that they were beaten in police custody.
According to the police, the protest turned tense on Sunday (November 23, 2025) after some demonstrators allegedly retaliated with force as they were being removed from the scene.
“The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used pepper spray on our personnel, which is unusual and rare,” a senior officer said. He added that the protesters assaulted the police team and manhandled women officers. Several personnel sustained injuries and were taken to RML Hospital for treatment, the officer said.
The police have also accused some protesters of shouting slogans and displaying banners in support of Madvi Hidma, a senior Maoist leader killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh earlier this month.
A day after the incident, the police registered two separate FIRs in the matter. The first, at the Kartavya Path police station, was filed under BNS Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (contempt of the lawful authority of public servants), 221 (contempt of the lawful authority of public servants) and 223 (disobedience to a lawful order from a public servant).
The second FIR, at the Parliament Street police station, includes BNS Sections 223A (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 221 (obstructing public servant), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences against the State) and 126(2) (punishment for wrongful restraint).
The officer noted that India Gate is not a designated protest site, unlike Jantar Mantar. “On Sunday, the protesters blocked the C-Hexagon after jumping over police barricades. They sat on the road for over an hour, and even people stuck in the traffic jam were requesting them to clear the way, but they did not leave despite repeated requests,” he said.
Published – November 24, 2025 06:56 pm IST
