Viral Video Shows Delhi Police Officer Punching GenZ Protester at Jantar Mantar, Saurabh Bharadwaj Says ‘Real Face of Police’
A protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday took a contentious turn after a video purportedly showing a police officer punching a young demonstrator in the face surfaced on social media.
A protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday took a contentious turn after a video purportedly showing a police officer punching a young demonstrator in the face surfaced on social media. The footage was shared by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, who criticised the Delhi Police over the alleged incident.
Sharing the footage on X, Bharadwaj wrote, “Delhi Police officer punching on the face of GenZ. Real face of Delhi Police.”
Delhi Police Officer Seen Punching GenZ Protester in Viral Video
The video surfaced amid protests in the national capital demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and concerns over voter deletions. The protest, held on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, witnessed a heavy police deployment, barricading and detention of demonstrators attempting to reach Jantar Mantar.
According to reports, around 500 protesters were detained during the police action, including Bharadwaj, AAP leader Atishi, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and student activists. Police personnel stopped protesters approaching the demonstration site from several roads, while some demonstrators were taken away in buses to different police stations. The protest was organised by opposition parties, student organisations and activists seeking accountability from the Election Commission over the SIR exercise.
Delhi Police had earlier denied permission for the proposed demonstration, citing security concerns and restrictions on unauthorised gatherings in the New Delhi district. Bharadwaj had maintained that the protesters were exercising their democratic right to demonstrate and questioned the police action against party leaders and workers.
The video shared by the AAP leader has brought renewed attention to the police response during Friday's demonstrations. However, the identity of the officer and the circumstances surrounding the apparent punch could not be independently established from the available information. No official police response specifically addressing the footage was available at the time of publication.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2026 08:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).