Delhi students allege police harassment follows them to their homes in other States long after protests are over
Students who participated in various protests across India allege that Delhi Police are engaging in sustained harassment and surveillance of their families. The students claim this intimidation continues long after the protests have concluded.
Why it matters
It raises significant concerns regarding civil liberties, the right to protest, and the extent of police surveillance powers in a democracy.
For Gurkirat, a former Delhi University student now pursuing a Master’s in Sociology at Panjab University, Chandigarh, fear is no longer confined to what might happen to her. She worries about what the police might do to her parents.
Ms. Gurkirat, former president of the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, alleged that Delhi Police personnel have been visiting her parents’ home in Shivaji Enclave in New Delhi every seven to 10 days for several months, asking about her whereabouts and serving notices in connection with old cases, including defamation cases.
“Sometimes they come in civil dress with no ID,” she said. According to her, the personnel have told her parents, “If you can’t control your daughter, then we will do it in our way,”, and advised them to restrict her movements.
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