Guwahati: Four men have been arrested in connection with the assault on a young protester during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration in central Delhi on October 10, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The incident, which occurred in the presence of Delhi Police personnel, drew criticism from opposition leaders and raised questions about the handling of the protest.
The accused have been identified as Raman Saini, 50; Vivekanand alias Vivek, 32; Kapil Kumar, 27; and Ravinder Singh, also known as Govind Hindu, 35. The four men reportedly claim affiliation with the right-wing Hindu Raksha Dal. The organisation’s chief, Pinki Chaudhary, has also publicly claimed that they belong to his group.
The CJP, which organised the October 10 demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, has accused Delhi Police of colluding with those who attacked the protesters. The allegation has not been independently established.
Accused identified in protest assault
According to reports and information circulated online, Ravinder Singh, who was seen wearing a white shirt in footage of the assault, has also used names including Ravindra Govinda, Govind Hindu, Ravindra Hindu and Govinda Gujjar.
He reportedly hails from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and has shared photographs with Nand Kishore Gujjar, the BJP MLA from Loni. Images of Singh with Hindu Raksha Dal chief Pinki Chaudhary have also circulated on social media. Singh has reportedly described himself as a gau rakshak, or cow protector.
Another man allegedly involved in the assault, seen wearing a dark maroon shirt, has been identified in reports as Raman Saini, who is also known as Raman Hindu or Raman Sanatani.
Some social media users have claimed that Saini is from Burari in north Delhi and operates a Wi-Fi connection franchise. These details have not been independently verified.
On Sunday morning, Chaudhary posted on X claiming that the two men identified in the footage belonged to his organisation.
Rahul Gandhi criticises Delhi Police
The incident also drew criticism from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who accused Delhi Police of “descending into thuggery and helping the goons”.
The CJP had called the October 10 protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration was followed by the detention of several party leaders and other protesters, as well as legal challenges over police action and restrictions imposed in the capital.
The arrests of the four men mark a development in the investigation into the assault. Further details about the charges against them and the progress of the police investigation were not available in the reports cited.