Food volunteer Junaid Malik, celebrated for feeding protesters at the CJP-led NEET agitation in Delhi, has approached the Supreme Court alleging police harassment and illegal detention. He claims Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police targeted him and his relatives, seized documents, and threatened him with the NSA over funding questions.
THE COCKROACH JANTA PARTY (CJP)-led protest officially concluded on July 25, 2026, after former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post. The protest was held over the alleged NEET paper leak and saw a massive crowd participate. Several people who took part in the CJP protest eventually became widely known for their direct or indirect contributions to the cause. Food volunteer Junaid Malik, also known as Junaid Bhai, was among those who were widely applauded for their contribution.
In a recent development, Junaid Malik has alleged that the police visited his family home in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Malik has moved the Supreme Court, alleging that he and his family were targeted by the police because of his affiliation with the protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
He was responsible for managing the distribution of food and water at the protest site, a role he had been carrying out since June 20, 2026. In his plea before the top court, he claimed that he had become a target of the police after receiving media attention for his volunteering work at the protest site for around 35 days.
As per various media reports, on July 24, 2026, Junaid Malik was allegedly picked up by the Delhi Police and detained for 5–6 hours. He further alleged that he was threatened by the police and was eventually dropped off on Dehradun Road. The plea further stated that he was questioned about the source of the funds used to distribute food at the protest site. Malik alleged that he was continuously harassed and threatened with the National Security Act (NSA) if he did not reveal his source of funding.
He continued that, on the evening of July 23, 2026, the police had also visited his family home in Ghaziabad, where they detained Malik's father before releasing him later that night. Junaid Malik further alleged that the following morning, the police detained his father again. He also claimed that his relatives living in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, were targeted. His sister's father-in-law and brother-in-law were allegedly taken to the Masoori Police Station in Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh.
According to News18, his father stated that the police had seized some documents, such as bank passbooks and PAN cards. The police have reportedly denied claims of police action in Meerut. Junaid Malik has sought the assistance of the top court and requested that it stop the police from targeting his family members through coercion. He also requested the court to assure him that the police act in accordance with the law as part of their investigation.
Junaid Malik is a resident of Nahal village in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. He became a part of the CJP protest and was praised for distributing food and managing access to food and water at the protest site for several days.
In the aftermath of the protest, the Supreme Court directed all states not to take any coercive action against the students who were part of the CJP-led protest demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. The court also directed the authorities to release all protesters from police custody if they did not have any prior criminal record. A petition before the court alleged that the police had used excessive force across several states during the protest. According to the petition, students were allegedly subjected to police brutality, including lathi charges, the use of pellet guns, tear gas, and other measures.
(Edited by Harsh Pandey)
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