Delhi’s Connaught Place turned violent as ACP Vivek Bhagat was injured during fresh clashes linked to the Cockroach Janata Party’s nationwide protest over the NEET paper leak controversy. Police allege protesters hurled stones and bottles, leaving more than 60 demonstrators and 118 officers hurt. Ten FIRs have been filed, including charges of rioting and assault on public servants.
IN A NEW VIDEO, Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat was injured after violence broke out at Delhi’s Connaught Place (CP) amid the ongoing protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The CJP is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leaks controversy. ACP Vivek Bhagat alleged that CJP Protestors attacked security personnel with stones and bottles during CJP protest.
Today, on July 24, 2026, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) called for a nationwide protest. The party, which has been leading the student movement, urged people across the country to hold peaceful demonstrations against the police brutality on students during the protest march to parliament.
According to Delhi Police, the incident took place at around 8.30 pm near Tolstoy Marg in Delhi’s CP, where some miscreants allegedly targeted police personnel and attacked them with stones and bottles. ACP Vivek Bhagat was brought into the emergency ward at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) with bruises across both his arms and legs. The hospital said that he was injured with swelling at the back of his head, and a reported history of ear bleeding and vomiting. He was later shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi, for further treatment.
See also: PM Modi Announces Fast-Track Courts for Paper Leak Cases Amid CJP Protest and Opposition Backlash
The police officials said that the situation at Jantar Mantar has been deteriorating since Monday, July 20, 2026, when the CJP held a Parliament march that ended with police personnel using lathi-charges and tear gas on the students and protestors to stop them.
Delhi Police says over 100 of its personnel were injured in that confrontation with the CJP protestors. The CJP says the police were brutal and assaulted students. Both claims have been sitting in the open since then, unresolved, while heavy security continues to ring at the protest site.
ACP Vivek Bhagat says: ‘On July 23, 2026, Thursday, I was doing my duty in sector one zone one which includes the main Jantar Mantar area. I was on duty during the day and I had an evening shift as well, so during the evening shift, I was going to report from the Regal building which is Connaught Place, via Sansad Marg, at the red light of Tolstoy and Sansad Marg.”
He continued: “I had a staff of five or six who were with me, an ACP probationer, Rohit and my operator Navneet was also with us. So as we were walking ahead, we realized that water bottles were being thrown at the staff in front and hooting and anti-social slogans were being raised against the police officials. One police official was overpowered by the crowd. Blood was coming out of his head. His entire face was covered in blood, so I tried to intervene to rescue him from there.’ ACP Bhagat further added that the crowd was extremely violent and targeted the police personnel.”
At least five police personnel were extremely injured after being dragged and assaulted during the clashes amid the CJP Protest.
The Delhi police said that 10 FIRs have been registered so far in connection with the violence during the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar. The cases include allegations of rioting, obstruction of government duty, assault on public servants, criminal conspiracy, damage to public property, offences under the Arms Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act. Police said more than 60 protesters and 118 police personnel were injured in the violence till now.
(Proofread by Khushboo Singh)
Suggested reading:
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube and WhatsApp
Download our app on Play Store