The protest had turned violent as demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament, leading to clashes with security personnel and injuries to both protesters and police officers.
Published: July 23, 2026, 11:23 AM IST
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New Delhi: Police personnel stop Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters as they raise slogans during a protest march, at Sansad Marg, in New Delhi, (PTI NEWS)
A senior Delhi Police officer who was caught on camera allegedly slapping a woman protester during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Chalo Sansad” march has been removed from duty at the Jantar Mantar protest site. Sandeep Lamba, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East District), was part of the security arrangements during the July 20 protest, where thousands of CJP supporters gathered to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.
A 36-second video from the protest, which went viral on social media, appeared to show Lamba slapping a woman near the Parliament area during the clashes between protesters and police. The incident was also raised in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday while hearing a petition that accused police of using excessive force against protesters.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan referred to the viral video and told the court that the officer should be held accountable. He alleged that the woman was standing still when she was slapped and urged the court to summon the officer.
The lawyer also claimed that police did not use water cannons before resorting to force. He argued that tear gas was fired directly at protesters instead of being used as a last option to disperse the crowd.
The protest had turned violent as demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament, leading to clashes with security personnel and injuries to both protesters and police officers.
According to The Print, a senior Delhi Police officer said the incident happened in the “spur of the moment” and that the officer involved was later warned to follow proper crowd-control procedures.
Explaining the police’s version, the DCP-rank officer said the woman protester was allegedly holding an object that appeared to be a nail and did not leave the area despite repeated instructions from police. The officer claimed she continued arguing with the police personnel during the protest.
“The officer lost his temper and committed the act,” the official was quoted as saying. He added that the officer has since been instructed to maintain discipline and follow the prescribed protocol while dealing with women protesters.
