The Delhi Police on Friday categorically denied allegations of custodial torture and illegal detention of several students, telling the Delhi High Court that the claims were “motivated” and designed to derail a sensitive investigation into Maoist-linked activities.
The submissions were made before a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the sister of Lakshita Rajoura. The petitioner alleged that Rajoura and other students were “abducted” earlier this month and taken to an unmarked building in New Friends Colony, where they were reportedly subjected to harassment.
In a strongly worded counter-affidavit, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police asserted that the protesters were only summoned for “lawful questioning” in connection with an FIR registered in July 2025. The police maintained that the interrogation was professional and conducted in the constant presence of female staff.
“The present writ petition and the affidavit… are false, concocted, and motivated,” the police affidavit stated. “The allegations have been made with mala fide intent to obstruct and derail an ongoing lawful investigation concerning serious offences and also to defame the individual officer.”
The police further alleged that the activists are associated with organizations like the Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM), which they described as platforms for “anti-national and Naxalite content.”
The legal battle stems from a petition alleging that approximately 10 individuals—including six students from various Delhi colleges, two labor rights activists, and two anti-displacement activists—were illegally detained between March 12 and 14, 2026.
Lakshita Rajoura, in her affidavit, leveled serious charges against the authorities. She claimed that during a detention period in July 2025, she faced “grave sexual harassment” and “Islamophobic remarks” from an intoxicated inspector. She further alleged witnessing male students being beaten while their faces were covered with “wet black masks” and claimed she was forced to sign blank papers and backdated notices.
Refuting these claims, the police informed the High Court that the allegations are “highly exaggerated, contradictory, and devoid of any material proof.” They noted that the activists failed to produce any medical documents or Medico-Legal Cases (MLC) to substantiate the claims of physical assault, labeling the charges an “afterthought” to exert pressure on the agency.
According to the police, the questioning of Rajoura and others was pivotal to a case involving the disappearance of a woman referred to as ‘Ms. V’. Authorities allege that Ms. V had been “brainwashed and indoctrinated” by individuals tied to Maoist ideologies. The police credited the questioning of the students with eventually leading to the tracing of the missing woman on March 14, 2026.
Regarding the preservation of evidence, the police confirmed that CCTV footage from the Special Cell office in New Friends Colony has been preserved. However, they noted that footage from specific locations in Vijay Nagar and Maurice Nagar was unavailable. They explicitly denied switching off cameras to conceal any illegal acts.
The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on April 23.
