A day after student protests over the NEET exam paper leak led to widespread detentions in Mumbai, a video purportedly recorded inside a police van triggered a political storm. The viral clip appears to show a Mumbai Police driver threatening detained student protesters with fabricated drug charges if they participated in future demonstrations.
Following the video's circulation, Mumbai Police ordered an inquiry and removed the officer identified as Pawan Sangle from his current posting.
In the video, the policeman is heard warning the students that if they were seen protesting again, he would "plant 50 grams of drugs" in their pockets, ensuring they would be denied bail and "rot in jail." He is also heard saying that the police were "suffering" because of the protests. The detained students, seated at the back of the vehicle, can be seen smiling and laughing during the exchange.
The clip drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the Congress and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which shared it on social media and accused the police of intimidating peaceful protesters.
Inquiry intiated against accused cop
Confirming action, Mumbai Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Akbar Pathan said an inquiry had been initiated and appropriate action would be taken after verifying the facts. He added that the driver involved had been removed from his present posting pending the investigation.
The Mumbai Congress described the alleged threat as an attack on democratic rights, saying students seeking accountability should not be met with intimidation. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also condemned the incident, accusing the BJP-led governments of attempting to suppress student voices and warning that such tactics would not silence the growing public movement.
