CASR seeks probe into alleged misconduct during India Gate protest arrests

By A Representative

The (), a coalition of student groups, civil liberties organisations and mass movements, issued a statement on Tuesday alleging unlawful detention, mistreatment and custodial violations involving 23 individuals who participated in a protest against at .

According to the statement, the registered two —one at and another at —following the demonstration. Under the first FIR, a court reportedly remanded five protesters to two days of , while one individual was sent to a safe house pending age verification. Under the second FIR, 17 students were arrested and placed under three days of judicial custody.

CASR described the protesters as “peaceful” and alleged that several women were detained overnight, which the group said would be inconsistent with governing the detention of women. It also claimed that 4–5 students were taken to multiple police stations and subjected to severe mistreatment. The collective further said it had received allegations of sexual harassment against some women detainees and that lawyers attempting to meet the detained protesters were not allowed entry into police stations.

None of these claims could be independently verified as of press time. The Delhi Police have not yet issued an official response to the allegations.

The statement framed the protest as a response to worsening air quality in the capital and criticised what it described as the “suppression” of democratic expression. CASR demanded the immediate release of all detained protesters and called for an independent, time-bound inquiry into the allegations of custodial abuse, including claims of sexual harassment. The group also sought enforcement of legal safeguards, including access to counsel and compliance with rules regarding women’s detention.

The coalition urged authorities to prioritise public health measures to address and to engage constructively with citizens raising environmental concerns.

The CASR organising team comprises several organisations, including AIRSO, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, , CEM, CRPP, CSM, DSU, DTF, NAPM, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, SFI, , and others.

The 'Dr' debate masks a larger crisis in allied-health education

By Dr P K Gupta* India’s allied-health professions have long operated in a fragmented landscape of universities, hospitals, State authorities and private institutions, each with its own nomenclature, curriculum and standards. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 was meant to correct this by creating a unified national framework for education, professional regulation and institutional recognition. Few dispute the need for such oversight. The real question is whether standardisation is quietly becoming synonymous with longer courses, additional internships and new professional titles—changes that risk masking deeper gaps in clinical training, institutional capacity and affordability.

Arrival of USS Lincoln: A ‘leisure trip’ to Thailand or a neo-colonial move to commodify women?

By Benyasiri Eimviriyapong The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) for a ‘leisure trip’ in Thailand before returning to its campaign of destruction against the people of West Asia demands immediate interrogation and opposition. For us Thai people, and those in sites of American plunder across the globe, this a rattling of the US’ cold war colonial chains on its most loyal lap dog, while conducting a war of aggression in Iran and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. In allowing the USS Lincoln to dock, the Thai ruling elites are once again facilitating a system of imperial violence that extends far beyond Southeast Asian borders, a system which in our case, is predicated on sexual violence and femicide.

Pilgrimage or pollution? The waste crisis of Indian faith

By Raj Kumar Sinha* In today's times, there are certain issues that are constantly talked about and discussed, yet no visible impact seems to be made. Beyond water, soil, and pollution, one crisis that continues to be overlooked is waste. Like other life-threatening problems, waste too is gradually moving toward burying and obliterating us. After the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, approximately 8,000 tonnes of waste were left behind on the riverbanks, including bottles filled with urine.

Counterview

Search This Blog