Hold Delhi Police Accountable: Custodial Torture and Sexualised Violence by Delhi Police (Special Cell)
Relevant State
The recording of the full public meeting is available on PUCL’s YouTube channel.
The PUCL organised a well attended online meeting of almost 200 people on 23rd March 2026 regarding the illegal detention of 11 youth activists and the brutal torture perpetrated by the Delhi Police (Special Cell). The discussion was moderated by Kavita Srivastava, National President, PUCL and Dr. V. Suresh, National General Secretary, PUCL. Nine of the eleven youth activists shared about their experiences of torture and asserted that the attack is not on just them, but any dissenting voice. They said that this incident is a part of the government’s ongoing crackdown, towards meeting the deadline given by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah – that they will eradicate Naxalism by March 31st, 2026.
From 12 to 15 March, 2026, the Delhi Police abducted and illegally detained eleven students and young activists and subjected many of them to inhumane and degrading torture, of a sexualised nature. This was the second such horrific experience for four of the activists within a span of one year!
The students were:
- Rudrabikram Roy, student of BCA at Indira Gandhi National Open University, Editor of Nazariya Magazine, from Kolkata, West Bengal
- Shiv Kumar, member of Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Kundli, Haryana, from Devru village, Sonipat, Haryana
- Sri Ilakkiya, post graduate in MA Psychology from Delhi University, member of Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, from Erode, Tamil Nadu
- Akshay E R, final year student of LLb from Faculty of Law, Delhi University, member of Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, from Thrissur, Kerala
- Abhinash Satapathy, student of BA (Prog) at SGTB Khalsa, Delhi University, member of Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, from Nimapada, Odisha
- Manjeet Beniwal, President of Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Kundli, Haryana
- Gaurav Kumar, student of BA Journalism and Mass Communication at Delhi School of Journalism, Delhi University, member of Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, from Nawada, Bihar
- Lakshita Rajora, graduate of BA Journalism and Mass Communication from Delhi School of Journalism, Delhi University, former member of Forum Against Corporatization And Militarization, from Kota, Rajasthan
- Adv. Ehtmam-ul Haque, former associate of Adv. Chirayu Jain, practicing in Delhi High Court, former member of Forum Against Corporatization And Militarization, from Lucknow, UP
- Dristy Baisya, student of BA Sociology, Miranda House, Delhi University, member of Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, from Rangia, Assam
- Aman From Hisaar, Friend of Manjeet and working as Mate in MGNREGA
What was particularly disturbing about this entire episode of illegal detention was the deeply sexualised nature of the torture inflicted on the young students which included beatings on the private parts, stripping, threats of rape, photographing the students naked as well as the shocking attempts to get some of the students to perform oral sex on each other.
The students shared the disturbing details of what they were made to endure with courage and dignity which was quietly impressive. In fact the three expert panellists who responded to the students, Vrinda Grover, Mihir Desai and Henri Tiphagne expressed their strong admiration both for the clarity of the presentations, the courage of their convictions as well as the dignity with which they conducted themselves.
Senior Advocate Vrinda Grover highlighted that this type of sexualised torture, especially on young men, can be observed in Ukraine, a complete war zone, where the Russian government is detaining and torturing prisoners of war. She also said that the campaign to hold the police accountable for torture, is a long battle, and suggested some concrete demands that we should make, to strengthen the case against the Delhi Police.
Henri Tiphagne of People’s Watch, and a senior human rights lawyer who has worked closely on the issue of police brutality and torture, proposed that multiple like-minded groups must be brought together to sustain a long campaign against torture, and also to ensure that India ratifies the UN Convention Against Torture and becomes a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
Senior Advocate Mihir Desai, National Vice President of PUCL, emphasised that the fact that the young people have been willing to fight for justice and accountability, shows that the Delhi Police has failed in terrorising them, despite the gruesome methods of torture used. He said that despite the fact torture has been repeatedly held violative of Article 21, courts have failed to take torture seriously. He highlighted that it is important to knock the doors of the court again and again and strategise at 2 levels: the legal response and the wider campaign to mobilise the public. The attack on dissent from the government of India must be met with a strong public campaign, he said.
This sentiment was shared by many participants in the meeting. As one participant noted, ‘I have read about torture but not in such graphic detail. Hearing it virtually directly with such horrendous details and much of it is sexualized is extremely shocking. Young people going through such torture…Admire the young people who demonstrate such courage. Salute them.’
The fact that this form of shocking illegalities are being perpetrated in the capital of India, by the Delhi Police was a matter of grave concern for those assembled. The meeting concluded after almost two and half hours with an expression of solidarity for the students and a decision to campaign against the impunity of Delhi police and continue to struggle for justice.