A protest called by Cockroach Janta Party at Azad Maidan in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
The Mumbai Police on Thursday (July 23, 2026) ordered an inquiry and shunted a policeman from his current posting pending inquiry after a viral video was posted by the Congress in which the policeman, a driver with Mumbai Police, is seen threatening protesting students.
A delegation of Maharashtra Congress led by its president Harshawardhan Sapkal met Maharashtra Director General of Police Sadanand Date and Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, seeking action against the person. In a memorandum submitted to the police, Congress sought immediate release of the detained students in Mumbai. It said the police action of pre-emptive detention of students was anti-democratic and illegal, alleging that the police misused preventive orders to file false FIRs.
The policeman seen in the video worked at Sion Police Station till he was moved out, the State’s Home Department said.
“If I see you around here again, then it will not be good for you. I will directly plant 50 grams of powder. Then your life is gone. You won’t get bail. We are in trouble because of you all. Don’t come back,” the person in uniform is seen telling two youths in the video. The Hindu could not verify the authenticity of the clip posted by Mumbai Congress.
The conversation took place in a vehicle, and the policeman is seen on the driver’s seat. The two youths are seen recording the video and laughing about it.
Soon after the video went viral on Thursday morning, the police ordered an inquiry. “Mumbai Police has ordered an inquiry into the matter and action will be taken after verifying the facts. The driver has been removed from the place of his present posting till the completion of inquiry,” an official of Mumbai Police said.
Illegal detention
The Congress memorandum said the preventive detention of students by the police was illegal. “Through this letter, I would like to draw your attention to the very serious and worrying police action taken against students in Mumbai over the last two days, especially on July 20, 2026. The action taken by the Mumbai Police against young people between the ages of 16 and 30 who are peacefully trying to raise their voices against the chaos in the education system in the country and for the future of students is highly anti-democratic and illegal,” it said.
The delegation said the police allegedly illegally detained 500 to 700 students in various parts of Mumbai on July 20. “Many students had not even reached the main protest site. They were illegally picked up from metro stations, public roads and directly from their homes. On the day the action was taken, i.e. 22 July 2026, students were detained on mere suspicion, without any legal Prohibitory Orders (Section 144) in force in Mumbai and without any solid legal grounds. Not only this, false cases (FIRs) have been registered against the students in Shivaji Park, Dharavi, Chembur and other police stations,” the memorandum added.
It said that the police had misused prohibitory orders to register false FIRs. “Police officers forcibly access students’ personal mobile phones without any court order or legal authority. Also, students are being forced to send ‘live location’ from their mobile phones, which is a direct violation of their fundamental rights. Currently, at least 200 to 300 students are still detained in various police stations in Mumbai including Dharavi, Mahim, Juhu, Chembur, Dadar. It is a fundamental right given by the Constitution to express our opposition peacefully and democratically. However, the police system is trying to destroy the future of students by treating them like criminals,” it said.
The Congress demanded the immediate and unconditional release of students. “False FIRs filed against students out of revenge should be withdrawn. The relevant police officers who checked students’ phones and picked them up from outside their homes in violation of the law should be thoroughly investigated and immediately suspended,” the party demanded.
It sought the immediate withdrawal of all the cases against the youth. “Hundreds of cases have been registered against students in the three days of July 20, 21, and 22. These children may face problems in getting jobs or going abroad for higher education after completing their education. Therefore, these cases should be withdrawn. Many of the cases registered are against girls. It is also learnt that the age of many of these youth is less than 18 years. Considering the future of these young people, all the cases against them should be withdrawn and they should be given relief, and the police should not put pressure on the children and their families.”
Terming the police action as “dictatorship”, the party threatened of protest if the cases were not withdrawn.
Published – July 23, 2026 04:13 pm IST
