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 farmer's burden: How oil, war, and climate are rewriting the price of food

By Vikas Meshram The scorching flames of the Middle East conflict are now slowly reaching the kitchens of ordinary people. The true price of this war is paid in daily markets, vegetable shops, and in the shattered minds of farmers. Expensive crude oil, skyrocketing fertilizer prices, and rising agricultural costs are together creating the conditions for global food inflation — and this crisis is directly tied to what people eat and drink every day.

Economic nationalism under strain as Indian corporates turn to America

By Sandeep Pandey* U.S. federal prosecutors withdrew a criminal case involving allegations that Gautam Adani had bribed officials in India to secure solar energy projects, stating that they lacked sufficient evidence. Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani also settled a civil fraud case with the Securities and Exchange Commission by paying a fine of around ₹180 crore without admitting wrongdoing. In addition, Adani Enterprises reportedly deposited around ₹2,750 crore into the U.S. Treasury to resolve allegations that it had violated U.S. sanctions on Iran through purchases of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

India’s heatwave crisis: How concrete cities are fueling climate emergency

By Rajkumar Sinha* According to recent studies, urban areas are witnessing a much sharper rise in temperatures than rural regions. The planet is currently heading toward an additional 1.9°C of warming — far beyond the target envisioned under the Paris Agreement . A team of climate scientists associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted that India’s average temperature increased by nearly 0.9°C during the decade between 2015 and 2024 compared to the early twentieth century (1901–1930). In western and northeastern India, the hottest day of the year has already become 1.5°C to 2°C warmer since the 1950s.

Counterview

Search This Blog