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New Delhi:  The Delhi Police on Tuesday (August 18) filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court denying the use of excessive force against student protesters during the July 20 Sansad Chalo march which ultimately lead to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

The police told the court that the protests stopped being peaceful once parts of the crowd broke through several layers of barricades and tried to push towards parliament, and that the force used to stop them was justified, Live Law reported.

The counter-affidavit was filed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma. It was filed in response to petitions asking for a court-monitored investigation into alleged police excesses during the protest. The affidavit also serves as a common reply across four related petitions.

According to the police, the force used was calibrated and not blanket. The affidavit underlined that roughly 5,000 officers were trying to control a crowd of more than 30,000 people spread over a 3-km stretch.

Once the crowd was out of control, clashes broke out, leaving both protesters and police personnel hurt, as per the affidavit. It stated that the number of injured officers were over 240, with around 200 public or protesters also hurt.

Meanwhile, Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said, “Not a single person was harmed; not a single person suffered a broken bone. Not even one protester is in the hospital with a serious injury.”

Anti-social elements allegedly got........

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