On 20th and 21st July, Delhi Police busted multiple fake claims circulated by social media handles about police action during the Cockroach Janta Party-led (CJP) protest in the National Capital.
The allegations against the police ranged from the use of pellet guns and nail-studded batons to the detention of thousands of students. Some accounts also claimed that women and children were assaulted and protesters suffered serious head injuries. Delhi Police rejected at least nine such claims made by multiple social media handles, including CJP spokesperson Saurav Das and propaganda and fake news peddler Mohammed Zubair of Alt News.
Pellet guns and nail-studded batons
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das claimed that Delhi Police had used pellet guns against “peaceful protesters”. He shared a video showing marks on a protester’s body.
Delhi Police described the allegation as “completely false and misleading”. It advised people against circulating unverified content and warned of legal action against those spreading misinformation.
Mohammed Zubair shared a video claiming that protesters at Jantar Mantar had blood streaming from their heads. The video alleged that police were attacking protesters with batons fitted with nails.
Delhi Police clarified that the videos were unrelated to the protest held the previous day. It called the claim false and misleading.
In another post, Saurav Das alleged that a person named Geetanjali was assaulted and had her hair pulled by police. He also claimed that a 12-year-old girl suffered a head injury while 40 to 50 others had their heads broken.
Police rejected every allegation made in the post and said no such incident had occurred. The fake post by Saurav Das has been withheld in India.
Claims about detained protesters
AAP leader Sanjay Singh claimed that around 3,000 students had been detained during the CJP protest. He alleged that they were being held at police stations and stadiums without food or water.
The DCP New Delhi account responded that the claims were false and misleading. It said no such incident had taken place.
Saurav Das also claimed that Abhijit Dipke had been picked up by police. Delhi Police clarified that Dipke had not been detained and was available on the protest stage when the allegation was circulated.
Another account, Cockroach is Back, claimed that Delhi Police had dragged the wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk by her hair and continued to lathi-charge innocent protesters.
Police denied that she was assaulted or had her hair pulled. It said no individual was subjected to targeted violence.
Old and unrelated videos circulated
PMF News shared a video claiming that Delhi Police had carried out a lathi charge against students. Police said the video was old and was being circulated out of context.
The DCP New Delhi account also responded to another viral clip by clarifying that it was not from Jantar Mantar.
In a separate case, an Instagram video dated 18th June 2026 was presented as footage connected to the 20th July protest. Police said the old video was being used to mislead people. It added that no permission had been granted to CJP for the protest on 20th July. The videos where police fact-checked the reports were later deleted.
Delhi Police repeatedly urged citizens to verify information through official sources before sharing it. It also warned that legal action could be initiated against individuals found spreading rumours or misinformation.
So far, it is unclear whether the police have initiated any legal action against these handles.
