NEW DELHI: Retired ACP KP Kukreti on Friday defended the police response to the July 20 violence during the CJP-led protest, saying that once a gathering turns into an unlawful assembly, every member becomes legally accountable for its actions.“When a mob turns frenzied and the situation escalates into an unlawful assembly, every member of that assembly is held responsible under the law. In legal terms, every member of an unlawful assembly is considered an accused,” said retired ACP KP Kukreti.He said the protesters allegedly turned violent by using projectiles, sticks and stones, breaking barricades and ignoring prohibitory orders issued under Section 163 despite repeated warnings that the gathering had been declared unlawful. According to Kukreti, the police had limited options in such a situation, arguing that allowing protesters to enter Parliament could have triggered a far more serious security breach.“If the mob becomes violent using projectiles, sticks, or stones, breaking barricades, and ignoring warnings issued under Section 163 despite being informed that the gathering had been declared unlawful then what options are left for the police? The alternative would have been to allow them to enter Parliament, which could have led to an even more serious incident. In such a situation, firing might have become unavoidable, ” said ACP KP Kukreti.Kukreti further said that, under the law, police officers are empowered to use proportionate force in extreme circumstances if their lives are under threat. He noted that decisions at such moments are taken by the senior-most officer present at the scene, who is responsible for protecting lives, public property and high-security institutions such as Parliament. “The law provides that, in extreme circumstances, if a police officer’s life is under threat and there is a proportionate threat, the officer is empowered to take whatever action is justified at the scene. At that moment, neither the Governor, nor the Chief Minister, nor the Home Minister is present. It is the senior-most officer or the officer on the spot who must decide how to protect his own life, the lives of the public, and public property whether that is Parliament or the parliamentarians. What could be more chaotic than people entering Parliament unlawfully? Internationally, it would have been a matter of great shame if people had concluded that India’s police were incapable of securing Parliament, ” added ACP KP Kukreti.He also argued that an unlawful entry into Parliament would have severely damaged India’s image internationally by raising questions over the country’s ability to secure its legislature.“These are our children as well. We also have children of the same age. Their views may differ from ours, and we have no objection to that. But who attacked us? Who injured the 128 police personnel? If we are being accused of attacking them, then who attacked us? We want an answer to that question. That is why we are satisfied with the manner in which the government is conducting its action. We also have nothing to say about the Supreme Court’s judgment, which we believe is a very balanced one, ” Kukreti further added.Earlier on Friday, the daughter of a police officer injured during the CJP protest alleged that her father was “almost lynched” during the violence that erupted on July 20.Speaking at a press conference, she said her father, who had served in the Indian Navy for 15 years before joining the Delhi Police, was deployed on the front line near the barricades when the violence broke out.“Before joining the police, my father served as a Marine Commando in the Indian Navy. He dedicated 15 years of his life to the Indian Navy. My father was present at the main protest site. He was on the front line near the barricades, where there was a large crowd, ” the daughter of a Delhi Police SI who sustained injuries during the protest told ANI.She also said that when her father returned home, he told the family that the situation no longer appeared to be a protest, as anti-social elements had entered the scene.“Whenever my father came home at night, he used to say that the protest no longer seemed like a student protest. Many antisocial elements had become involved in it. The very next day, on the 25th, my father was pulled by a rowdy mob and was almost lynched near the stage at Jantar Mantar. This happened on the 25th at around 2:00pm. He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours. Around 10:00pm, his colleagues brought him home, and his uniform was completely stained with blood. It was extremely painful for us to see him in that condition, ” she added.“The miscreants who attempted to disrupt the students’ protest, tarnish its image, and undermine the dignity of Parliament should be held accountable for their actions and should not be spared. At the same time, the students should be released after their records are verified,” another family member of an injured policeman told ANI.(With agency inputs)
