Delhi police personnel were singled out and violently assaulted by a crowd during a protest near Jantar Mantar on Thursday [1, 2].

The incident highlights a volatile escalation in public demonstrations in the capital, where law enforcement officers became direct targets of physical violence during a political crisis.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat said officers were subjected to a series of attacks that included stone-pelting and the throwing of bottles [1, 2]. The violence occurred as crowds gathered to protest the appointment of the Chief Justice of India (CJP) [2].

According to reports, the attackers did not merely clash with police lines but specifically targeted individual officers for physical assault [1, 2]. The level of aggression led one unnamed police officer to describe the severity of the encounter, stating, "They would have killed me" [2].

Police officials said the crowd's behavior shifted from peaceful demonstration to targeted violence, an escalation that endangered the lives of those deployed to maintain order at the site [1, 2]. The attacks took place in the high-security zone surrounding Jantar Mantar, a traditional site for public grievances in New Delhi [1, 2].

Bhagat and other personnel said the officers were singled out by the mob [1]. The Delhi police are currently reviewing the events of the day to identify those responsible for the assaults [1, 2].

“"They would have killed me"”

The targeting of specific law enforcement officers during the CJP protests indicates a shift from general civil unrest to personalized violence against state authority. This escalation near Jantar Mantar suggests a deepening of social tensions surrounding the judiciary's leadership, potentially complicating future security deployments for political demonstrations in New Delhi.