New Delhi, July 27: In a major crackdown against miscreants over the student protests in the national capital, the Delhi Police on Monday said that 2,873 men with criminal backgrounds were present at the protest site from July 20 to 25, who were identified through the Facial Recognition System and technical means, as per sources.

 

 

 

According to sources, the Delhi Police are investigating whether these men were involved in the violence that broke out at Jantar Mantar and in and around New Delhi. These criminals are involved in heinous crimes like sexual assault, murder, and crimes involving minors under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Some of these alleged criminals came back to the protest site repeatedly. These particular criminals have serious offences registered against them.

 

 

 

Out of these 2,873 individuals, 989 have a past record of serious crimes. Among them, 101 have been involved in murder, 62 in attempted murder, 284 in robbery/dacoity, 61 in rape, 6 in offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 25 in molestation/crimes against women, 229 in Arms Act violations, 135 in snatching, 19 in kidnapping, and 67 in NDPS/narcotics-related offences. Some of these alleged criminals came back to the protest site repeatedly.

 

 

 

The data further reveals that a significant number of these individuals are habitual and repeat offenders rather than those with isolated criminal records. Among those involved in murder cases, 42 individuals are tied to two or more criminal cases, while 12 are involved in ten or more cases. For attempted murder, 25 individuals face two or more cases. In robbery and dacoity cases, 155 individuals have been involved in two or more criminal matters, with 31 linked to ten or more cases. Additionally, 8 of the rape accused, 6 of those involved in molestation, and 9 of those with NDPS offences are repeat offenders facing two or more cases.

 

 

 

Earlier, the Delhi Police directed multiple social media platforms to remove posts and videos containing offensive and abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were uploaded during the student protests at Jantar Mantar and the violence linked to the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march, officials said on Monday. According to the Delhi Police, several posts using abusive language against the Prime Minister surfaced across various social media platforms during the protests and subsequent violence in the national capital.

 

 

 

Officials said the Delhi Police's social media monitoring team has been continuously scanning online platforms to identify such content. Upon detecting objectionable posts, notices are being issued to the respective social media intermediaries, directing them to remove the content. Police said several crude comments and videos containing abusive language directed at the Prime Minister have already been taken down following notices issued by the force.

 

 

 

The monitoring exercise is continuing, with cyber and social media teams maintaining a close watch on online activity related to the protests to identify additional offensive posts and ensure appropriate action is taken against content found to violate applicable rules.

 

 

 

The development comes after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the Centre on Monday tabled the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in Parliament to curb paper leaks in the country.

 

 

 

Following a dramatic 37-day nationwide agitation led by the youth movement Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and activist Sonam Wangchuk, the Central Government took decisive action to defuse mounting public outrage.

 

 

 

In a series of rapid developments, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, three rounds of high-level talks were held, and the Centre introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in Parliament to curb paper leak syndicates.

 

 

 

Shortly after these concessions, the CJP officially withdrew its sit-in demonstrations from Jantar Mantar. However, the resolution has sparked a fresh political row in Parliament. The Opposition, led by the Samajwadi Party (SP), is now questioning the opacity of the deal--demanding to know what assurances were made, why student protesters face ongoing police intimidation, and why the government refuses to formally account for student suicides on the floor of the House.

 

 

 

According to the Delhi Police, over 118 police personnel sustained injuries during the scuffles on July 20, including senior officers of the ranks of Special Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioner, alongside several women personnel. Around 60 protesters were also reported injured.